


Deadly Lullaby of the Akatsuki

by CelesteOminous



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Gore, Explicit Language, Gen, Horror, Implied Sexual Content, Multi, Not shit story, OC, Other, Promise ;), Soooo many OC's, Suspense, Trying not to OOC, Zombie Apocalypse, rated for mature teens really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 05:59:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11640390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelesteOminous/pseuds/CelesteOminous
Summary: No-one is equipped to handle this sort of thing, dead people walking, creating more and more of themselves. No-one could ever be prepared to handle this sort of thing! Equipment wise, mentally, emotionally, how could you? You just push on day to day, and hope that you don't get bitten, or deal with someone that has been. Every day outside of a safe house is a day you could be walking right into your own death, sometimes there's no avoiding it. It's how it is.You keep whoever you can find, safe, or go it alone. But if I go alone, I die alone. So of course when I run into a group of...strange characters who seem like they're just now seeing zombies for the first time, I have to guide them. They're weird, paranoid, honestly a bit intimidating, and they call themselves the "Akatsuki". Yeah, they're really strange, but I seriously can't bring myself to leave them. They're completely clueless, complaining about not having any "chakra", or "jutsu", it'd be cruel to just bolt.So...I'm stuck with them?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I started a few years back, and then completely re-wrote. The quality is a lot better in the actual first chapter and hopefully, will only improve from there. So if you read this and don't like it, don't worry I don't like it either, the first chapter is much better than the prologue. Please review to tell me what you want to see next!

It had been one day, since the apocalypse started. I don’t think I was doing too well...

My mom...just five hours before...eaten by zombies... Not a...graceful way to go...you know...screaming your throat raw until it...gets bitten out too...

Anyways, all traumatic experiences aside...

I was walking along the tracks in the metro, shining my flashlight ahead of me. My metal softball bat hung low by my right ankle, my hand still clenched tightly around the handle. I felt like my whole arm was primed to swing at anything that moved towards me, human, animal, corpse...

Oh, did I fail to mention? The corpses moved as well...unless they had their heads pre-smashed...which was not fun having to do in the least. No...it was more than fun, it was amazing. Every time I swung up my bat, I felt like I was helping my mother rest in peace...as she rested in pieces... 

I was nearing a stopped train on the tracks and I heard groaning nearby. I froze and spun around in a slight panic. ‘There’s no way one of them snuck up on me right?’, I thought to myself as I stopped.

Then I smiled reluctantly and chuckled to myself without a hint of emotion and nodded, "Right...I've been running away for a while now...almost forgot..." I looked ahead of me to see the horde of zombies I'd been fleeing from ever since they trapped me in that tunnel, come around the bend. I looked to the train behind me, my eyes blurred as tears began to spill.

Don't feel sorry for me though. Yeah, I was trapped. Yeah, I was scared. Yeah, I didn't want to die...

Tough...

I was cornered, there was no convenient way out, no miracle or person there to save me. So I brought out out the handgun in my pocket as the horde drew nearer. It had belonged to my dad and he wasn’t at home when all of the shit went down so...  
Long story short, I climbed to the top of the train and looked around. I smiled and put the gun away. I wasn’t quite suicidal yet...getting close, but not really there.  
It looked like I could walk for a bit a way down the tunnel, then the ceiling dropped. I would have to try and crawl to get further down the tracks. I sighed and wiped my eyes of tears as I brought a pen and sticky note out of my back pocket.  
After writing down my note and placing it on the back of the train where the dead could not reach and knock it down, I started making my way down the train, hoping someone who knew me would find the note. I hoped that by leaving notes everywhere with my name, the remainder of my family would be able to eventually find me.  
I left the note behind reading, “Talia Faith Salam, Day 1. Mom is dead...but I’m still here. I intend to keep it that way. If you come across anyone with the last name Salam, please inform them of my well being, but...leave this note here. It’s the quickest way to spread my search for them, so please... I wish you the best of luck.”  
I looked back for a second before running forward into the dark with my flashlight and bat by my side. Hell, Heaven. I didn’t care. I would find my family and protect them if it was the last thing I did.


	2. BANG BANG - Hello World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So nice of you to join us for the end of days, how was your nap?
> 
> Akatsuki: [ENTER STAGE LEFT - ACTION]

_ “What’s go-...?” _

_ “Where...?” _

_ “Hey I found-...!” _

_ “Is that-...-her?” _

_ “Come here! Hurr-!” _

_ “Wake up...Ko-...Konan!” _

Auburn eyes fluttered open, waking their owner from a dreamless sleep. They tried to see their surroundings, but everything was too blurry. The owner of the eyes frowned as she became irritated at her eyes for their poor performance. For she wanted to know; whose voice was that? It was undoubtedly familiar...

“Konan!”

The blue haired woman looked up at the blurry figure holding her and recognized a bright shade of orange on the very top of the figure. Her eyes slimmed suspiciously and she slowly asked, “Pein...?” The figure dipped his head, answering her. “Yes...are you alright?” 

Konan frowned as her vision would not clear, she was still not relaxed and was not willing to share anything about her current condition. Not without proof.

"The dog we had when we were children. What gender, and what name did it have?”

“He was a boy and his name was Chibi...”, the figure answered immediately. Konan sighed in relief as she nodded, “Well...everything’s blurry right now, I can barely see a thing. Wher-?”

A scream tore through the air, stilling her tongue. She knew this scream very well, it was the pained scream of someone dying. But no, it was dragging, followed by whimpers and cries. They had not yet died, and...were they being tortured? Konan blinked as she looked at Pein and now spoke in a hushed tone, “Where are the rest of the Akatsuki? I heard more voices earlier.”

“We’re right here...but Tobi and Zetsu are missing.”, she heard Kisame reply also in a hushed tone. “We all woke up in this building, but in different places...” Konan focused on listening for any more noises in their current position, and everyone else quieted as they decided to do the same. 

Heavy breathing could be heard in the same direction in which the pain filled scream came from earlier, and it was coming closer to them.

Pein sighed and Konan could feel his grip on her tighten around her, pulling her closer. She wasn’t even sure he noticed this, for it seemed like an involuntary action. “Kisame, stay with Konan. Her vision is being hindered at the moment, so do not leave her side.”, Pein ordered as he let Konan down halfway so he was still supporting her back. “Are you alright to stand?”, he asked quietly. 

Konan felt an urge to prove that she wasn’t some fragile doll to her friend, and so... “My vision may be impaired, but my body is just fine Pein. Thank-you.”, she replied in a gentle tone with an undertone of warning in her voice. She stood up straight and a tall figure walked over to her, she looked up and saw blue. She reached up and gripped his sleeve so as to not get separated from him, “Thank-you Kisame-san...” The shark man simply grinned though she could not see it, “No problem.” He walked her over to the wall at which he had been standing next to Kakuzu and Sasori.

“Kakuzu, come with me. We’re going to assess the situation.”, Pein said as he opened the one door that the room had. Kakuzu nodded and walked over, “Fine, at least I’ll have something to do...” Hidan resisted strongly against calling out Pein for choosing Kakuzu over him, and instead muttered to himself as he sat down on the ground. “If anything happens while we’re away, Itachi, you take charge.”, Pein said. Itachi only nodded in response before turning his attention back to the room they resided in. 

Pein and Kakuzu left the room, closing the door behind them.

The room Konan had awoken in was a relatively small one, all Akatsuki members together could stand in a circle with about two feet in between each one of them if they chose to. The building had obviously not been well looked after for, the beige wallpaper was peeling off and the tiled floor was chipped in many places. Along the far wall opposite the door, was a nearly empty bookshelf that was built into the wall. The ladder meant to be used to reach higher books had a broken hinge and was quite rusty. The ceiling had many signs of past leaks and many of the panels looked as if they would fall down on their heads if it were to start raining.

Konan sighed and she let go of Kisame’s sleeve, not being able to see clearly was a pain, but it did not disable her completely. Her sense of hearing and skill of observation were nothing to scoff at, she  _ was _ a shinobi. Shinobi always had to adapt in order to survive, and she had just spent the last five minutes waiting in order to do so. 

She refused to make the other members of the Akatsuki  _ babysit _ her while they could be helping defend against whatever adversaries they may encounter in the future. She then noticed something, something that she should have noticed  _ much  _ earlier.

“Itachi-san? Has anything happened to any of your chakra reserves?”, she asked trying not to sound worried. Itachi nodded, “I’m sorry I did not inform you earlier, but you are correct. We each seem to only have enough chakra to keep us from chakra exhaustion, we can’t use any jutsu for the time being. It would end up being more harmful than helpfu-.”

The same scream from before ripped through the halls, except now it was more weakened, and a lot closer. Konan couldn’t help but tense up at this, her eyes moved to the brown rectangular shape she had identified as the door anxiously. The whimpers seemed to become more pitiful and helpless as it grew closer.

The door opened.

Pein walked in, hauling a younger man in with him by the shoulder. Kakuzu followed and shut the door before rushing to the young man’s side and laying him down.

Konan frowned, she could smell blood. The young man was gravely wounded. For those that could see what was happening, the young man had lost a large chunk of his arm and was bleeding heavily. None of them had seen such a wound before, but if they had to describe it...

It looked like something had taken a bite out of him...

The young man thrashed around weakly as Kakuzu began his medical procedures on the man with what he had. Gauze and fabric. He knew the young man was as good as dead, but Pein wanted information out of him. Therefore, his task was to keep him breathing for even a few minutes longer.

“No...! AHHHHgggh! Ffffffuck! Stop it!”, the man moaned out in pain. Kakuzu held him down by the shoulder and began to tie a shred of fabric from the man’s shirt around the upper part of his arm, above the wound. “Oh shut it already! Do you want to die?”, Kakuzu muttered lowly.

Pein didn’t give the man a chance to answer, “Focus on me right now. I need information. What is this place?” The man gritted his teeth in pain, “I-!  **AH FUCK!** Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit...ah....! D-DC...you-ah fuck! You’re in the D-District of Columbia...Now  **please stop!** ” Pein became confused as he heard these unfamiliar words, seeing as the man was in such a bad state, he couldn’t put his finger on why he would lie when his life was in their hands.

“Shut up and answer him properly! I  _ will _ let you bleed out...”, Kakuzu threatened. The man nodded as Kakuzu said this, not afraid at all. “Y-yes! Do that! Let me die! Th-then smash my head in! I-I don’t want to come back!  **FUCK!** God!” They were all confused by the man’s desperate ramblings.

“What do you mean ‘come back’?”, Pein asked curiously as he ordered Kakuzu to stop his treatment by holding his hand up. The man looked at him with tears in his eyes, “As one of  _ them _ ...Th-those fucking monsters from Hell! They did this to my arm! Once you’re bit, that’s it! You-you get sick, you die...Ah! Th-then you come back as one of them! They  **eat** people! I-I don’t want to eat anyone, please smash my head in! It-It’s the only way to stop it!” Pein’s eyes widened, the desperation in the man’s voice was clear, he was telling the truth.

He frowned, “We have no weapons.” The man just shook his head and cried, “Use your foot! Use anything! U-use the f-fucking door if you have to! J-just-! Gghhh...!” He suddenly lurched forward and grabbed Pein’s sleeve as his wild agony filled eyes stared into Pein’s ringed ones, “Just destroy...the brain...” He let go and suddenly he threw up blood, his body heaving over as he did.

Pein and Kakuzu stepped away while all of the Akatsuki members moved towards the door, trying to stay away from the dying man.

Blood that shouldn’t have been leaving the poor man’s body, spilled out of his mouth and into his lap as he unwillingly lurched forwards, as if his body was forcing his life to end that very second. 

The man stopped lurching and his upper body snapped back in a violent manner, and as if he was having a seizure, began to convulse. 

Strangled chokes and cries broke through his clenched mouth as his fingers twitched and stretched as if they were reaching for something, his legs kicked the ground beneath him wildly. The man coughed and suddenly stopped moving altogether. His head lolled forwards to reveal that his eyes had rolled into the back of his head, and he no longer breathed. 

“What the fuck?!”, Hidan yelled in disgust and fear. 

The man’s corpse turned in Hidan’s direction, and snarled, its blood covered teeth baring in hostility. Hidan froze. The corpse began to crawl towards the man, still snarling and growling. It moved in a sudden burst of speed towards the man, Hidan yelled and kicked the corpse in the chin. “Get the fuck away from me!”

The corpse got back into it’s crawling position, unfazed, and again started to advance towards Hidan. The closest to this, Deidara, kicked the corpse in the gut making it fall over. Hidan ran out of the corner he was being backed into.

Kakuzu ran over before the corpse could upright itself again and planted his foot on the side of its head. The corpse snarled and struggled as it found that it could not move itself anymore.

Pein made his way over cautiously and crouched in front of the snarling corpse, it seemed to be trying to bite the foot that trapped it. 

“Can you understand me?”

The biting motion was now directed at Pein as these words slipped out, bloodied hands strained to try and reach the man. Pein looked at the gray rolled back eyes of the man, “Horrible...your body is being used to attack and create more of you... We will put your soul to rest.” He stood and walked away.

The snarling was hushed after the sickening sound of a violent crack and squelch was heard throughout the room. 

Konan couldn’t help but shudder, “Wh-what the Hell is going on here?!” She usually wasn’t one to raise her voice, but taking the situation and her condition into account, she was in a volatile and paranoid state of mind.

“That was the most messed up thing I’ve ever seen...”, Deidara mumbled under his breath. His eyes, like many in the room, were still glued to the motionless corpse on the other side of the room. Sasori nodded quietly, he was always for making corpses walk, but not in such an ugly and disturbed state of unrest. Itachi, while greatly disturbed, was fighting to keep himself appearing calm.

Although there were some that were only slightly bothered at witnessing this horror, Kisame, Kakuzu, and Pein. The idea was disturbing, but they each found no particular reason to feel fear for the anomaly.

“We have to leave...”, Konan said quietly as her hand again tightened on Kisame’s sleeve. She was not the only eager one though, Itachi and Deidara both wanted out, but neither of them said anything.

Pein sighed as he looked at her, “We’re not sure if Tobi or Zetsu are still in the building, we haven’t checked every room.” Kakuzu then chose to speak up, “Leader and I will go out again then...” 

Konan shook her head, “Let’s all search together! There’s no point in staying in this room for any longer than we hav-.”--  **BANG BANG BANG** .

Deidara, Sasori and Itachi quickly moved away from the metal door. A familiar snarling made it’s presence known and banged on the door again and again. 

“Oh fuck! Of course!”, Hidan growled out in frustration. 

Kakuzu glared at him for a second before looking the the corpse near his now bloodied feet, “Indeed, of course... He said one bite, and you’re done...” 

**BANG BANG** “And there’s the monster that did him in!”, Hidan pointed at the door before flipping it off. 

Konan sighed, “Itachi, how many are out there?” Itachi closed his eyes as he walked closer to the door. After momentary silence he turned to Pein, “Just one...but I hear more coming this way.” It was silent.

“We should go now.”, Sasori suggested. Deidara seemed not so thrilled with this idea, “Maybe we should wait?” Sasori glared at his partner, “What’s this? I’ve never known you to be such an easy one to scare...” 

Deidara glared right back, “I deal with shinobi, push over shinobi! I can take out an entire village with one bomb! But right now? None of us have chakra worth a damn, no weapons, and we’re literally fighting walking corpses! Yeah, I’m a bit freaked out!”

“We’re leaving now.”, Konan said as more of a final order than a suggestion. All eyes turned to her. “We stay here, they’ll never go away. We don’t know how they sense their surroundings, they’re not human, they’re the exact opposite. They may even be able to hear the blood pumping through our veins, if we allow them all to trap us in here, it will be a lot more troublesome and dangerous than dealing with just one.”

Pein nodded in agreement, “That sounds reasonable. Any objections?” Deidara opened his mouth to voice his concerns, but Pein cut him off. 

“If so, then stay behind...” Deidara visibly deflated at this before sighing, “Alright alright...no need to be so harsh...”

“Kakuzu watch my back, I’m going first. Kisame, carry Konan out, we may have to run.”, Pein ordered as he moved towards the door. Kakuzu followed him.

“What are you going to do against it?” 

Pein sighed as he grasped the door handle, “Hopefully this door will suffice, it’s the only thing we have...”

Kisame looked at Konan hesitantly, “Sorry Konan-san, I know you don’t like the idea...” Konan sighed before looking up at him, “I don’t, but that doesn’t matter. If I walk, I slow us down. Go ahead.” Kisame grinned and hooked his arms under her legs and back to pick her up effortlessly. 

Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, and Hidan moved behind Kakuzu and Kisame carrying Konan followed behind them. 

Pein looked behind him to make sure everyone was ready before pulling the door open. 

The snarling became instantly louder as this was done, a female corpse poked it’s head into view, and Pein immediately slammed it in between the wall and door. This proved to be extremely effective, for the corpse’s head didn’t seem to be up to par with the metal door and a shinobi’s strength combined. In fact, it was like an eggshell in comparison, just an eggshell filled with blood and brain matter in this case.

The now brainless corpse collapsed to the floor as Pein opened the door and walked over the corpse. He peered down the stairway that he and Kakuzu had found the infected man in. It was silent and he could see no movement. He then looked down the hallway to see if anything was coming. The snarling was definitely coming from the open door he was staring at.

He went into the quiet stairwell to his left. “Come down this way.”, he said in a hushed tone. The Akatsuki followed after in silence down the stairs. 

Sasori closed the metal door behind them after Kisame and Konan had made it through and frowned as he heard the snarling enter the hallway just after he did so. “These demons...what disgusting creations...”, he muttered before following after the rest of the group.

Pein peered through the small window in the door of the second floor to see if anything was awaiting them, he saw and heard nothing.

He opened the door slightly as he peered into the hallway, nothing was there. He walked further into the hall as he looked around and then signaled for the Akatsuki to follow suit.

They filed into the hall and again, Sasori closed the door behind them. 

Hidan anxiously glanced around, "Well...I don't hear anything down here, that's for damn sure. Are they down here?" Itachi looked around, the doors on the floor were mostly open and there weren't any distinctive growls of the undead that were nearby. "I doubt it, right now, I believe we should stay here for the time being. We have an exit and multiple places available to us to check for supplies and search for Tobi and Zetsu."

"Oh right, damn it! If we had to wake up in a hell hole with monsters, why couldn't we have our weapons on us! Or at least enough chakra to cast at least one jutsu!", Deidara said irritatedly.

Pein sighed and nodded, "No point complaining about it. As soon as we finish checking this floor, we'll move on to the next floor." 

Some of them nodded in response as Kisame let Konan down, seeing that they would be staying there momentarily.

"Deidara, you go check the room at the far end. Sasori check the room adjacent on the left. Itachi, check the room opposite to Sasori's. Hidan, check the room behind me to your right. Kakuzu the room immediately to the left of that one. If you happen to find trouble - however unlikely that may be - don't be stupid, call for help. We can't afford to lose anyone because of arrogance.", Pein ordered calmly.

Having their orders, the men walked to their destinations.

Hidan, was the first to reach his door which was already open. He peered inside before walking in. The room was much bigger and wider than he expected it to be, it seemed to stretch almost all the way down the hall. He clicked his teeth in annoyance, "Nothing worth shit in here..." 

He walked around the room filled with art supplies until he saw Sasori enter the same room through his door. "You and that blonde she-male can have a fucking field day with the stuff in this room can’t you?", Hidan said in a half teasing and half irritated manner. Sasori glanced at him silently before scanning the room and walking further inside. Hidan frowned before walking out through his own door, making sure to kick a pile of papers on his way out just out of spite.

"Leader! You gave me a door that lead to the same room as puppet-boy! Not only that, but there was little to shit that was useful in there!", Hidan protested angrily. 

Sasori came out of the door nearest to them, "I'd say that at least these may be useful in some way Hidan, don't you think?" He held up a plastic container which held many precision knives. Hidan scowled at the small-bladed knives, "Those look flimsy as shit! How are those gonna help?"

Before Sasori could answer, Itachi and Kakuzu walked over. 

Itachi shook his head, "My door leads to the stairwell that those...monsters just went up." Using the word "monster" for things that used to be human didn't sit too well in Itachi’s mouth, it just didn't feel right to say to him, but he could truly find nothing else to call them that would do their justice.

"It looks like there used to be supplies in my room, someone cleared it out. There were empty boxes and it still smells of sweat in there with the windows open, so it happened recently."

Pein nodded before looking down the hall towards the door he had sent Deidara to, he couldn’t see him from there even though the door was wide open. He frowned, "Sasori, go check on Deidara, perhaps he's found something."

Sasori nodded before shoving the container of precision knives into Hidan's arms and walking down the hall. He sighed in frustration as he drew nearer to the open doorway, "Brat, always making people wait..." He walked inside and looked around, he stopped.

Pein was now concerned as he stared down the hall, he could clearly see Sasori where he stood in the room. He wasn't moving and he was staring at something. He had definitely found something. "Itachi, follow me.", he ordered as he began to walk down the hall. Itachi followed close behind.

He sighed as he drew nearer, "Sasori, did you find Deidara?" Sasori looked over to him, before nodding in a somewhat robotic manner. He walked further into the room now out of sight. Pein resisted rolling his eyes as he entered the room, "Then why didn't you te-..." He stopped.

Itachi dreaded to enter the room as Pein stopped talking, but he knew there was no escaping it. He took two steps in and slowly brought his gaze to the right corner of the room. He tried not to, but he couldn't help it. He stopped.

In the corner laid a headless, cannibalized corpse of a man with a distinctive fly trap. Black and white skin was barely visible under the layers of fresh blood from his nearly missing chest and torso and completely missing head. His hands were astray as if he had been struggling in his last moments. 

Deidara was retching in the the corner adjacent, whatever food that had been with him before they found themselves there, was now a pile of unidentifiable slop below him. Sasori was talking to him lowly as he held his hair out of his face.

Pein blinked and shook his head as he tore his eyes away from the carcass of Zetsu, he thought about Tobi. The man he knew as Madara, but whose actual identity escaped him. What had become of him? 

He frowned and turned to Itachi and sighed as he shook him by the shoulder to snap him out of it. 

Itachi’s eyes snapped to Pein before he hesitantly nodded, "I'll...go deliver the...news..." His throat felt dry and his stomach was upset. He was used to gore, but never had anything so brutal come into his personal knowledge. And as only he in the Akatsuki knew; he hated death and pain, despite his position in the Akatsuki. 

As Itachi walked back towards the rest of the group, he found that he had calmed down considerably and regained some of the cold killer facade that he had been building up over the years.

"What's happened? What did you find Itachi-san?", Kisame asked curiously. Itachi looked at him before sighing softly, "Zetsu is dead. We've found his body..."

"Dead, how?", Konan asked surprised. Itachi looked at the nearly blind woman, "He appears to have died of blood loss from being eaten...that or...he may have been murdered due to the fact that his head is gone." Konan frowned in disgust of the information that had been disclosed to them.

"Shit...this is insane! There are enemies that are alive too?!", Hidan said in annoyance. "Shut the hell up Hidan. You’re going to attract those monsters.", Kakuzu warned. Hidan growled in irritation, "I know already, shut the fuck up..." 

Itachi looked down in thought before looking up again, he turned to see Pein, Sasori, and Deidara walking towards them. Deidara had recovered from his sickness but still looked a bit disturbed, Sasori and Pein had gotten over the sight they had just seen and appeared to be fine.

"Pein? What do we do now?", Konan asked leaving Kisame's side for only a moment to face her friend.

Pein sighed, looking slightly grim. "We will continue the search for Tobi, but whether we find him or not, we are not staying in this building... Does anyone feel the need to rest here for a while?"

 

No answer came from the group.

 

"Let's move to the next floor down then.", Pein concluded.

Without a word, he opened the door to the stairwell - after checking to see if anything was there of course - and proceeded down the stairs quietly, followed by the present Akatsuki.

It was quiet on the other side of the door so Pein peeked through the window in the door to see if anyone was there.

He breathed in sharply and ducked his head just before a person came into view on the other side.

He hit the wall so if the person were to glance at the window, they wouldn’t spot him.

Pein sighed softly and looked at Kakuzu, he threw his head towards the wall adjacent to the door.

Kakuzu crouched and moved to the wall and shifted so he too, could not be seen from the window.

“Evan?”, a whisper from the other side of the door came.

Pein frowned at this thinking they'd been heard.

“Fuck man...look, I...I don't think he's here man...”, a more distant voice commented.

“Why wouldn't he be? This is the only building he was supposed to ransack...”, the voice behind the door questioned.

“I don’t know dude... Look...uh, maybe he took off with what he found, screwed us over, end of story. So uh, let's go look for him, couldn't have run far...”

“Evan wouldn't do that man...look I know him, he's a good guy alright...? He's here, you're just a wuss and you don't want to check the upper floors... That's alright, be a coward, stay here, run away if you want to... Cool?”

The door opened swiftly and a man came into view. He yelled as he saw the Akatsuki standing there, “What the hell!?”

“What?”, the other voice called as it came closer.

Pein straightened up to look the taller man in the eye, “Who are you?”

The man frowned anxiously, “I should be asking you the same thing buddy... Why are you all here, where's Evan?”

“Evan...brown hair, green eyes, a bit of a moustache and a small nose?”

The man nodded, his jaw tensing up as he seemed to know what was coming next. His hands tightened their grip on the handgun between them. Pein noticed this and put one hand up as a way to calm the man down.

“He was bitten...by one of those...things. He asked us to put him out of his misery in order to protect us.”, Pein explained while keeping his eye on the gun in the man’s hands.

The man slowly nodded and looked towards the door, tears threatening to fall. “Yeah...I...I guessed so...”, he muttered in a broken voice.

The other man that was further away came into view, he raised his gun.

Pein looked at him and moved his hand towards him, he did not know what a gun was, but he could identify a weapon when one held it with the intent to kill.

The man standing in the doorway looked to the younger man, “Ian put it down...put it down now! This is not their fault...it's just...these damn monsters...”

Ian shook his head as he looked at Pein, “I just need to know one thing from you, and then I'll put this down alright man?”

Pein resisted rolling his eyes, “Well, seeing as I'm not withholding any information you're asking for, perhaps it would be more morally just if you were to lower that right now...make this all, a civilized conversation...” Kakuzu moved out from behind the door glaring at the younger man.

Ian looked to him, and then to his friend and nodded, shakily lowering the gun and his gaze. “Did you...uh...p-put him...outta misery...? Did he...turn?”, he asked.

Pein nodded without hesitation, “By the time we had procured a weapon to do it with, we were too late...but we did do it...with a foot...”

Ian expelled out a breath that he hadn't been holding as he turned away and put his gun away.

“We’re sorry for your loss...”, Konan's voice broke the silence. She got out of Kisame’s arms and went to the bottom of the stairs slowly with the handrail guiding her. She turned towards the open door and bowed slightly, “He seemed very noble, even though we only knew him for a short while. You must have been good friends.”

The man shook his head as he wiped away his tears and smiled jokingly, “Nah...he was an ass... No but really, I...I've gotta thank you guys for doing right by him, even as total strangers...” He extended his arm to Ian who grumpily came closer, he looked Deidara's age, maybe a bit older. “I'm Dante, and this is my boy Ian. We're a part of this group that doesn't live that far from here, we don’t have a lot of supplies but...we won't turn anyone away if you need a place to call home. We have armed guards and top security on all entrances and exits...oh! And if you're looking for anyone, they might be there... To stay there you only have to follow one rule, just contribute if you are able to...that’s all we ask.”

Konan straightened up and smiled softly, “Well we're not so sure about staying, but if we can look, we are searching for a friend.”

Dante nodded curtly and gave a small smile, “Well if they're there, your friend is being well cared for...”

Pein nodded a spared a small smile for Dante, Konan couldn't do all of the crowd pleasing. He knew that she was simply being civil so that the two men would trust their group more.

“This is such bullshit...”, Ian muttered glaring at the floor.

Hidan scowled at the younger man, “The fuck’s your problem?!” 

Kakuzu shot Hidan a warning glare, “Shut up Hidan!”

Dante frowned at Ian, “Ian, I know you're upset, but you can't direct that anger on to these people... Grow up man!”

Ian angrily shook his head as he looked to Dante, “Look, how do we even know that they're telling the truth? Maybe they fuckin’ gutted Evan upstairs and they're just blocking the way to his body! Don't you think we should at least check man?”

“We're not blocking you.”, Pein stated. As if on cue, the Akatsuki parted ways to leave a clear pathway to the upper levels. “I warn you though, if you go check, you will not find much left of your friend. Those things almost cornered us up there.”, he said lowly.

Dante blinked in surprise before turning back to Ian, “Well?”

Ian blinked taken aback by the sudden concentration on him, his blinking began sporadically increasing in speed from nervousness. He looked to the stairwell, now open for him. Slowly, he put his gun away growling as he rushed forward to sprint up the stairs, maneuvering through the Akatsuki and roughly bumping into Hidan on his way. Kakuzu had reacted in time to keep Hidan from retaliating by slapping his arm in warning.

“Don’t get yourself killed Ian!”, Dante shouted after his friend in worry. He sighed frustrated as only a slamming door answered him. He groaned tiredly and looked towards the Akatsuki tiredly, “I’m uh...really sorry about that. Ian gets emotional too easily, y’know?”

A few of the Akatsuki nodded in response, lying. They really didn’t understand at all, this wasn’t the behavior they were used to at all. Emotional? Such things were practically forbidden in the shinobi world, seeing as getting emotional more than often got everyone in their squad including themselves, killed.

Dante sighed softly as he turned toward the front door for a moment before turning back, “So you guys said you don’t have any weapons right? We’ll have to fix that...c’mon.” He began walking towards the front entrance hurriedly and peeked out through the glass window in one. “It looks clear out, we should be fine.”

“You’re not going to wait for your partner to come back down?”, Itachi asked as he began following him. Dante looked back to him and shrugged with a smirk.

“Ian is quick..and uh, not ‘partner’, friend. He’s got a boyfriend and it’s not me.”, Dante stated before pushing at the door. As the rest of the Akatsuki followed, they briefly wondered why the man had assumed that “partner” was a romantic term in Itachi’s question.

Pushing the door’s metal bar, Dante opened the door with a noisy creak. He adjusted the disheveled shoulder bag tied to his backpack and held the door open as the Akatsuki filed out into the barren street. A few abandoned and beaten up cars were either lined up along the side of the street or smack dab in the center, angled in such a way that made it apparent that it was an attempt at some sort of barricade. Dante made no hesitation and began walking towards the provisional barricade, hoisting himself up to slide over the hood of a truck. The group following him of course, had no problem doing the same to follow him down the street.

Konan now took to Pein’s side, inconspicuously gripping onto his cloak sleeve letting her friend become her eyes. She still didn’t understand why her vision was blurred and hoped that it wasn’t a permanent state she would be under. Although for the moment, this was the only way she could travel besides someone carrying her, and that wasn’t her favorite.

Deidara glanced around curiously from near the rear of the group and then looked to Dante, he picked up his pace to come walk side-by-side with him. “So Dante, what can you tell us about these freaky monsters roaming about?”

Dante glanced over to him and shrugged, “Well, they used to be human, they’re blind but they’re sure as hell not deaf. You could probably walk through a crowd of them as long as you didn’t make any noise or bump into one, although I wouldn’t recommend trying it.”

“Does one only turn into one of them by being bitten?”, Pein then asked from behind.

Dante shrugged once more, “They haven’t been around long enough for us to figure that out.”

Sasori sighed loudly, “Get to the point then...”

Dante nodded hesitantly, “U-uh well, they’ve been around for about a week. Not enough time to know everything about them, and hell I doubt everyone in the country knows about them. Anyways, it’s not like we have a bunch of people willing to go out and, and...I don’t know, experiment with these things!” His voice then dropped into a haunted tone, as if remembering something he’d rather not. “Everything we know, we know because bad things happened to good people we wish we could‘a saved...”

With that, they decided to leave Dante be, knowing he needed the silence.

To the Akatsuki, Dante was a strange, naive, and overconfident man. Although the word “strange” held more precedence than any other. What kind of world had they appeared in, where you could trust the first questionable group of people you came across, without much suspicion at all? He was even walking with his back turned to them, not even  _ glancing _ in their direction. He was showing emotion,  _ weakness _ in front of people that could very well exploit it later, with no qualms. Of course he was strange, but that was why they weren’t worried about him.

They were more concerned - or as they liked to phrase it “curious” - about what happened to their chakra, and Tobi. Sure they were restricted in jutsu and use of their individual bloodline limit, but Zetsu had died.

The illusive, not easily spotted, not easily caught Zetsu, had been  _ murdered _ . His ability to morph through walls and blend in with his surroundings, had clearly not helped him in any respect.

So, how restricted were the rest of them? Not all of them were exactly at their best without their jutsu, it was concerning.

Konan let out a small gasp as she stumbled over a fallen street lamp, she would have fallen if her grip on Pein’s sleeve hadn't been so tight.

Pein turned back to face her, “Sorry...is your vision still not returning?”

Konan shook her head, feeling rather embarrassed. She shouldn't need to be watched like a child, yet here she was, not able to navigate even an empty street by herself. “It may just be my paranoia, but things seem to be getting darker.”

Pein glanced around the road, vaguely noticing the rest of the group had passed them and were continuing on with Dante. He noticed there was a rather large van run up on the curb, it was a bit too elevated so maybe there was something under it? He placed a gentle hand on Konan’s, as a silent sign to stay there. 

Pein walked around the back of the van and looked down just in time to move his foot out of reach of the corpse trapped beneath the van. It snarled as it kept trying to reach the prey that it thankfully could not see.

“Pein? What did you find?”, Konan’s voice called. She hadn’t moved from her spot, but had turned to look in his general direction. Her voice attracted the attention of the corpse that then tried to reach back and grab whatever was making noise behind it. Pein took the opportunity and stomped on its head, thrice just to be sure it was dead. After observing the corpse a bit more, he spotted a jagged piece of rebar stuck in it’s side, under the van. 

Pein cautiously moved closer and nudged the corpse’s slightly caved-in head.

When it gave no sign of waking again, Pein yanked the rebar free from the corpse’s ribs and backed away. Barely turning away, he made his way back over to Konan.

Konan stood still as her hand was guided to hold a cold, heavy, and rough metal rod that she could tell was dark brown, it reached down to her ankle when she let it dangle at her side. The handle she was holding was bent, like a hook. “There is blood on the end of this, mind your hands.”, Pein said quietly. Konan nodded silently and was surprised to feel cold fingers wrap around her free hand tightly, Pein led the way silently, not giving her a chance to comment.

As the two caught up to the rest of the group, only Itachi glanced back to acknowledge them, slowing his pace so Pein and Konan could walk ahead of him as to not be at the very back of the group. Pein nodded to him as they passed.

Dante looked around, they had been walking alongside a tall brick wall for a while now, it surrounded a nature park if he remembered correctly. His left hand was rested on the handle of a hatchet in his belt loop, while his mind was busy, wondering if he should give it to one of the strange survivors he had come across.

_ One weapon. Super helpful Dante... _ He thought to himself as they rounded the corner of the brick wall, coming to an open street with a few cars further down. The tall brick wall gave way to an equally tall black gate that followed parallel to the street.. Dante sighed and turned back to the group he was leading, he yanked the hatchet free of his belt and held it out.

“Here, I was uh...thinking about it and...something’s better than nothing right?”, he muttered. Hidan nearly pounced to take the hatchet, letting out a joyous yet demented chuckle.

“Dante, you may be a bit of a pansy, but damn at least you’re fuckin’ smart!”, he whooped.

Aforementioned Dante tilted his head at the remark, unsure on how to respond to it. “Uhh, you’re welcome...?”

 

Hidan didn’t seem to notice the other man’s awkwardness as he turned to lead them down the street. What Hidan did notice, was a dark shadow emerging from behind one of the cars down the road.

“Hidan, move!”, Itachi warned.

And move he did, Hidan immediately crouched and rolled to the left as a loud bang resounded through the area. He smirked smugly, but then looked over to notice Deidara clutching his right shoulder, there was already blood seeping into his cloak and leaking through his clenched fingers. He was gritting his teeth, looking to see who had injured him. 

Dante was still in the process of trying to catch up to what was happening, Itachi had suddenly yelled, and before he knew it Deidara had been shot. Although all these thoughts were still running in his head, his gun was pointed down the street, looking for the assailant.

Movement came from behind them and Pein looked over, from behind the black gate, emerged two people. A woman and a man whom looked related to each other. The man grinned at Deidara seeming amused, “Dude...you  _ ate _ that fuckin’ bullet! How the fuck are you standing?” The man seemed to be a mix of amazed and impressed, staring only at Deidara as he and the silent woman behind him climbed over the gate.

As Dante aimed forward, he came to the stark realization that there were four men with guns walking over from in front of them, and two people behind them, outgunned. He would die before he could kill two of them.

Although, when Itachi’s eyes focused forward, he saw something that made his stomach feel as if it had dropped. “Pein...”, he muttered. Pein looked forward and blinked in surprise, before his expression hardened. This was getting better by the minute, there was no way...

He just couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him as he stared at one of the men standing ahead of them. The man with the blood stained, orange swirl designed, one-eyed mask...that hung by a string on his belt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, cliffhanger. Some OC's introduced in this chapter, love to hear what you guys think!  
> Tell me what you want to see in the next one!


	3. Sanity Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In some instances, sanity becomes a luxury.

It had been four days since the apocalypse had started. I found a group of people...they were assholes, to say the least. Never thought girls could be perverts but hey...people are shits right?

Anyways, I got the hell away from them as quickly as possible and took some food from their stash with me, compensation y'know?

Soon after I shacked up in a ballet studio and stayed there at least a whole day. In the later hours of the night I began what must have been a frantic attempt to keep my head on straight in the solitude, I started talking to myself about the most trivial bullshit just to keep myself present.

Things like; I used to hate ballet, or at least I used to think I hated it. In all actuality, I think I just hated my teacher, the strict bitch...

Or; I hated wearing the pink leotards, it was enough that I was forced to go to class two times a week, but then I had to wear pink! I hate pink...so my mom bought a purple one instead.

I was glad that I kept talking, it kept my mind off of other things, off of everything...it was liberating.

That was until, I heard something break in the front of the studio. All at once it was like my troubles and worries piled onto my back and I had no choice but to carry them with me.

I quickly went to investigate and found that it was exactly what I hadn't expected. Out of a tipped over trash can, I saw a gray and black striped tail sticking out, shifting slightly as the can it was in rocked from side to side. It was a raccoon.

I sighed and laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, it was a fucking raccoon! Were raccoons safe to eat? Why was I wondering that? Why did I feel the need to wonder that? Lost in my thoughts, I had failed to realize that my quiet laughter had only grown in intensity and volume. My eyes began to burn as tears gathered and spilled down my face, but I kept on laughing, tickled silly at the fucked up-ness of everything, and even that fact was hilarious to me. I felt like I was going to lose my goddamn mind and soon, I was cackling hysterically and weeping as I watched the raccoon flee into an open vent.

Then another sound broke my concentration, a low thump. I stopped laughing, I stopped smiling, stopped crying, and looked up. There was a small gathering of zombies at the window, one of them was slapping its hands on the window which seemed to be attracting more attention from the street.

I felt my face lose any trace of emotion, I wasn't scared, not hopeful, apprehensive, or even sad. I was annoyed, at the fact that the stupid zombie had interrupted what was probably going to be my last good laugh for a while. It was a nuisance, and I wanted it gone.

I didn't care about escaping the building, or getting away from the zombies. I just wanted to bash in every one of their skulls in until there was no more rage inside of me.

I stood without wiping my face of tears and went to the back rooms to grab my shoulder bag, bat, and my gun, and proceeded to write another note, just in case...

I left for the front entrance again, sticking the note right beside the door before I opened it.

"Talia Faith Salam. Day four. I'm still by myself, can't trust anyone out here. I need to find my brothers but... I'm sick of hearing these zombies day in and day out. I may be unintentionally walking to my own death right now, but I can't bring myself to care. I'm getting rid of these rotting bastards, they're noisy. Good fucking luck I guess."

The zombie that had been tapping on the window turned and began snarling at me, I pocketed my gun, and raised my bat, looking it in its dead eyes...sweet silence...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short to give us a breather from last chapter's occurrences. Our girl here is waning a bit, but I'm sure she'll be fine!
> 
> Anyways, please tell me what you think of the story so far! Don't be afraid to try and make some predictions!


	4. Play Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Playing along can help, especially when at gunpoint.

“Hey buddy!”, said the man that had now finished climbing over the gate. Dante didn’t even need to look to know he was being spoken to, he hesitated, but begrudgingly lowered his gun. The man smirked and made his way to the front of the group, “Cool, so, first things first. Gun, hatchet down. Bag, gimme.”

Dante nearly growled as he sighed, placing his gun on the ground and began to push his bag off of his shoulders. Hidan, having just acquired the weapon, dropped the hatchet by his feet with a growl, more than angry. He refused to kick it over though, if they wanted it, let their bigshot asses come and get it. Soon after, Dante’s bag dropped to the ground with a dull thud. 

The man with Tobi’s mask strapped to his belt came forward, his stature and appearance lanky and a bit ashen. The gun he had been training on the group was put away in his belt as he reached down to pull the bag closer to him.

Every one of the Akatsuki knew as soon as they’d seen the dangling mask, regardless of who “Tobi” was to them, he was dead. How and when, they didn't know, nor did they want to. It was done and over with, and out of their hands. No longer a concern.

Itachi then looked back to Dante and noticed him anxiously staring at his bag as it was rummaged through. As the ashen man looked through the bag, his hands roughly shoving things aside and nearly throwing things out, there was silence. The intensity of the atmosphere was nowhere near to what the shinobi were used to experiencing, but it was starting to feel a bit like home.

The silence was interrupted by a rattling sound coming from Dante's bag. The ashen man, hearing the noise, began to dig further into the bag with renewed vigor. Itachi glanced to Kisame and Kakuzu who both nodded ever so slightly in response, what Dante had in that bag, they didn’t know. But they were ready to defend the group if it were to incite a violent reaction from the people around them.

“Chester!”, the man called. The grinning man whose eyes were still focused on Deidara and his shoulder, looked down to the ashen man. Dante sucked his teeth softly as three bottles of various pills were produced from the bag. He knew they would be found, but he just hoped that they wouldn’t be.

“Well shitty shitty shit!”, the man named Chester exclaimed. The ashen man still crouched by the bag threw a bottle to Chester who caught it and started shaking it lightly. He looked at the group in front of him, seeming amused. “Who stole the pills from the pharmacy?”, he said in a sing-song voice that seemed familiar to Dante as he surveyed the group.

Kakuzu frowned under his mask. If Dante had stolen from these men, and if they were anything like how he knew many druggies to be, the poor man was as good as dead. But he supposed if the group they had been returning to was as large as Dante had told them, the man didn’t have much of a choice. Kakuzu readied himself to pull the man in front of him backwards and out of the way if the situation escalated any further. He was their guide to a supposedly safe place, it’d be a shame if he died.

Dante glared at the man shaking the pills in a rhythmical manner. “They were up for grabs, and there wasn’t another group there to my knowledge. If they were yours, I’m really, very sorry but my people need them too.” He directed his hand towards the group behind him, "And these guys? They weren't even with me when I took them." Dante didn’t want any misunderstandings, nor the group behind him to be in danger for something he did.

Chester nodded slowly in response, not speaking as he read Dante's face, pocketing the pills in hand. He clapped very suddenly making the man flinch. Chester laughed spreading his arms out to his side, hands open out wide. “And just like that, the truth comes out! How honorable. Now, since you were so very unaware, uh...”, he trailed off circling his hands towards Dante.

“Dante...?”, the other man answered hesitantly.

“Dante! Now, since you were unaware, and you did say you were sorry, I won’t kill you. Okay? Now, I must admit...”, Chester walked to Dante’s side to throw an arm over the taller man’s shoulders, “The pharmacy, was fair game. You didn’t steal from us Dante! You stole what we were going to steal, you follow?” It was at this point that Sasori had to hold Deidara back from exploding at the man. The group didn’t want to fight, yet Deidara had been injured, unnecessarily it now seemed. Chester didn’t seem to notice Deidara glaring at the back of his head, or ignored it as he smiled.

Dante nodded once again, the news of his reward for honesty being his life making him perk up quite a lot. “Yeah, I understand.”

Chester barked out a laugh, “You see, that’s what makes this next part so easy! I’ll let you and your friends go, but you gotta do one small thing for me ok?” Hidan was fed up with this, the guy was a joker and yet he acted like he was tough shit. It took every last bit of what little restraint he had to not pick up the hatchet at his feet and decapitate the man.

Dante frowned, “That sounds...ok.” It sounded shifty is what he meant, but wouldn’t dare say at this point. Things were going too well.

Chester chuckled, “Awesome, now follow along if you get what I’m saying alright? Who stole the pills from the pharmacy? Dante stole the pills from the pharmacy!” Again with the sing-song voice.

Dante then suddenly had an inkling as to what the other man was doing and hoped he was right, or else he’d be making a fool out of himself for nothing. “Who, me?”, he followed with uncertainty.

“Yes you!”, Chester removed his arm from around Dante’s shoulder. He seemed pleased that Dante was playing along with the strange rendition of the children’s song.

Dante sighed as he remembered the last thing he needed to say, “Couldn’t b-!” Dante stumbled and fell forward, having being struck over the head with the handle of a dagger. Dante yelled out in pain and heard a few yells before they were silenced by a louder one. Everything sounded fuzzy and far away.

Miraculously, not one of the Akatsuki had attacked in response. A few hands had flinched towards where their weapons usually were, but then their owners thought twice. No weapons, surrounded, Dante was alive. Hidan was the one that had yelled, having been silent the entire time before Kakuzu silenced him, yelling at him himself.

“Now, I didn’t lie did I? The guy’s still alive isn’t he!”, Chester’s irritated voice came to Dante first through the haze in his head. Hidan ground his teeth, he didn’t like this feeling, the feeling of not being allowed to do anything. Not helpless, but not fighting back.

Dante felt a hand on his back, it was a slender, soft hand, unlike Chester’s had been. “This is just so Dante doesn’t do it again!”, Chester nearly sung dropping the pills he had keeping in his pocket. It rolled slightly towards Dante’s lowered head and Chester smiled, “You can have these okay? Since you worked so hard for them.”

The hand on his back moved in a circle, rubbing his back softly. “Are you okay?”, it was Konan’s voice, hushed but unafraid. Dante opened his eyes, annoyed to find that his vision was partly reddened in his left eye. Chester had hit him hard enough to break skin, causing him to start bleeding into his own eye. Dante looked up at the woman crouched by him, her gaze unfocused as usual, but her mouth was set into a thin line. He grunted in response to her question, briefly wondering where whatever Pein had given her earlier had gone. He didn’t remember Chester ever asking for it.

“Holy shit, Ches...”, a new voice came as the woman that looked related to Chester came over in front of Dante and Konan.

Chester looked at her, his eyes slimmed as he seemed to expect something unpleasant. “What?”

The woman’s gaze was stuck on Konan’s eyes, “I...I think she’s blind...” Konan’s gaze was still unfocused, her eyes still their original color, but not able to be of much use. As she heard the other woman speak, Konan frowned, so that was how others saw her now.

Chester sighed in exasperation, “Well then she won’t be of much help to us then right?” Pein blinked slowly, this was bad. Were they thinking of taking Konan away? This situation would turn violent if that was the case, and he did not like their odds against Chester's armed group. Seeing the state of Deidara’s shoulder, it was now apparent how much damage a gun could do. He could only imagine what damage multiple shots to the body could do.

The woman shook her head as she kneeled down and reached her hand out to Konan. “Not to you guys...but me on the other hand...”, she said quietly as she gently stroked the side of Konan’s face. Konan flinched away and bowed her head down, appearing to be shy. Inwardly, disgust and disbelief flooded her mind, not at the other woman’s attraction to her, but the insinuation of what she may want. Konan was no whore, and she wouldn’t act one either.

“Hey, my name’s Jo. What’s your name doll?”, the woman named Jo asked with a tone that was intended to be calming. “These guys are your friends?”

Konan didn’t speak at first, but then a voice unlike what Dante had heard before emerged from her. “K-Konan, and they’re my f-f-friends, yes...” Meek, submissive, and uncertain. The change in Konan’s demeanor was far too dizzying for Dante to comprehend, and painful for Konan to fake.

Chester rolled his eyes at this and sighed, “Do you really need another pet Jo? She looks a bit frail to me.”

Jo smirked up at him incredulously, “First; Meredith and Rae are not 'pets'. Second; Stop being an asshole.” She looked back at Konan, “So Konan, you wanna come with us? I can take care of you, protect you.” She gave a light hearted laugh as she brushed Konan’s hair behind her ear on one side. “Don’t mind what Chester said, you wouldn’t be my pet.”, she assured.

Konan shook her head quickly, “N-no...I want to stay with my friends...” And it was the truth, despite the others not exactly holding the title of “friend” in her heart. She had no intention of conducting espionage in an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar people, especially if she had to act like a helpless blind doll while doing so. She was not helpless, and most certainly not blind.

Jo frowned, disappointed. She then sighed and stood, “Oh, pity. Well I hope I’ll get the chance to see you later Konan.” Said woman sincerely hoped that later would not come to pass as she turned her attention back to Dante.

Chester huffed and then gave a big grin to Dante, “Well that concludes our business together Dante! Hope to see you again in the future! Try not to die okay buddy?” Dante glared up at him as he struggled to get back to his feet, but Konan made him stay down, telling him to gather himself before trying.

Dante listened begrudgingly, staring at the pill bottle Chester had left in front of him with bitterness. The ashen man that had found the pills kicked the bag back over to him and Dante reached out to pull the bag closer, and opened it. They hadn’t taken anything else, just the other pills, the other pills that his people would need. They hadn’t taken the hatchet he had given Hidan, not even his handgun, but they had taken the pills.

“One more!” Before he stop himself, Dante was shouting at Chester’s retreating back.

Chester and his retreating group stopped.

Hidan couldn’t hold his anger in any longer, he turned to the fallen Dante. “Shut the fuck up you dumbass! I take back everything I said about you being smart!”

Chester turned back to look Dante in the eyes, disregarding Hidan’s outburst. “One more? Another song?”, he asked as if that was what he hoped Dante was asking for and not the alternative...

“One more bottle of pills. There’s more than two other bottles in there, I know! You shot my friend for no reason, he needs them!”, Dante argued. All of the Akatsuki were taken aback at this, but it didn’t show on their faces. That was the reason for his outburst? Deidara’s injury? Deidara, although thankful for the consideration, was surprised the other man even cared. Dante’s glare never dropped from Chester’s face, “You punished me for stealing the pills, don’t punish him for something he didn’t do! One more...”

Chester tilted his head curiously and smirked with a hint of pity, his eyes, again, shifted back to Deidara. Without looking away, he sighed. “Homer, toss them one more. We  _ were _ wrong to injure his friend without proper cause, and I don’t want any bad blood between our groups.”, he admitted congenially. Dante wasn’t buying it though, and neither were any of the Akatsuki. Without another word, Chester and the rest of his group turned and began walking. The ashen man now known as Homer, lagged back to toss another bottle of pills to Dante, seeming to not want to come any closer, and turned to follow his own group. The pills rattled as they hit the ground.

As the other group turned the corner, Hidan was more than happy to start cursing under his breath, snatching up the hatchet at his feet.

Pein meanwhile allowed himself to exhale deeply and began to walk over to Dante and Konan, helping both of them to their feet. Dante nodded to Pein in thanks before hissing at the pain in his head, “Sonovabitch...” Sighing, he looked to Pein and Konan. “Sorry for getting you all involved in this.” 

Konan simply shook her head, telling Dante to not think too much of it while reaching into her cloak to pull out the bent rebar she had been holding before. Dante blinked in awe, wondering how she had hidden something like that so quickly. Pein simply reached down to pick up the two pill bottles on the ground and held them out. “What are these anyways? Will they actually be of help or did you just run around the pharmacy grabbing whatever looked useful?”

Dante snatched one bottle from Pein’s hand. “Hey,” before pointing at him with the same hand, as if warning him, “shut up.” Dante chuckled incredulously at his own words, giving up on trying to make it seem like he was actually upset. He then looked at the bottle in his hand. “Thankfully I didn’t have to do that because we have a nurse-in-training or whatever back home, she gave me a list of medicine we would probably need.”

Pein nodded, allowing himself to give an amused smirk while noting, Dante seemed to be a bit of a joker. Dante shrugged in response before reading the bottle in his hand, and tossing it to Kakuzu. “For uh...your friend, painkillers. He’ll need a few.”, he notified distractedly as he leaned down to pick up his gun from the ground.

“It’s Deidara, and thanks, but I’ll only need one.”, Deidara answered while accepting the bottle from Kakuzu.

Dante looked over at the wounded man skeptically. “One...? Are you sure? You were shot in the arm for fucksake!”, he exclaimed in disbelief. His question was answered as Deidara popped a singular pill into his mouth and tossed the bottle back with the very arm that had been shot, smirking as he did so.

“I’m sure, yeah. Hell you probably need a few yourself right?”, Deidara asked in a teasing manner.

Dante caught the bottle, his mouth open as he found himself speechless. He stared down the bottle dumbfounded before staring at Deidara with the same astoundment. He shook his head to snap himself out of it before picking up his bag and putting the pills away. “Nope, nah I’m good. Thanks for asking.”, he stated distantly.

Deidara couldn’t help but snicker at the reaction, and had to admit that he missed being able to amaze others with the most mundane of his abilities, like his high pain tolerance. An upside, he supposed, of this whole situation.

Pein held up the other bottle to read the label, “Penicillin...antibiotic. So you did get something useful.”

Dante let out a mock-offended laugh, “Okay, I have a head wound and half of my vision is red, and you’re not letting up on me anytime soon are you?” He looked down to meet Pein’s eyes with a questioning glare.

Pein gave a bit of a smirk and put the penicillin away into Dante’s bag, which he then took to throw on to his own shoulder. “Not for a second. Now let’s get going. Deidara’s arm and your head that you keep whining about need to be treated, right?”

Dante threw his hands up in surrender, “Right, alright. Can’t forget about that. Though I don’t think any of you are, don’t worry, we’ll be there within the hour.”

Itachi looked back behind them, the street was empty but he could hear the familiar sounds of approaching zombies. He looked to Dante, “What about Ian?”

“I’m right here dipweed.” As the group turned around once again, Ian walked around the corner, hands in his pockets, glaring at the ground. His clothes were bloody, more bloody than before at least, but he didn’t appear to be wounded. “I heard uh...a gun go off...everyone okay?”, he asked softly. 

Deidara chuckled in a sarcastic manner, “No, everyone’s great! I have a hole in my shoulder and Dante’s head is split open, but we’re doing peachy!”

Ian looked up, alarmed, “Wh-what the fuck happened?”

“We had a run in with another group. They screwed with us a bit, but we’re alive and kicking.”, Dante reassured as he put his gun away in his belt. “How about you man? You look like hell.”, he digressed, concerned for his friend.

Ian shrugged dismissively looking off to the side, “I don’t know man. I...I’m fine, physically at least y’know? Ran into a swarm of those fuckers but... I took care of it.” He murmured as he spoke, not wanting to give much detail.

Dante nodded, “Obviously...and Evan?”

Ian scoffed softly, shaking his head. “I didn’t... I couldn’t even get to him...” His voice shook and his breaths came out softer. He balled his fists in his pockets.

Dante looked at his friend solemnly, and raised up an arm. “Ian.”, he called softly. Ian hesitantly looked up at him, he looked angry and there were tears in his eyes. Looking conflicted, Ian eventually stormed up to Dante’s side, where he was held close under his arm. Ian cried staring at the ground, refusing to say a word.

Dante glanced back at the group behind them, “Let’s go guys...”, and began to walk.

Ian hadn’t allowed himself to cry for long, in fact it was soon after their departure from the street that he pushed himself away from Dante to start leading the group. He led in silence, which Kakuzu was grateful for, not wanting Hidan to get himself worked up again and start arguing. He and Ian seemed to react to one another like wild dogs fighting over a scrap of food, and Kakuzu wanted no part in it.

Ian led the group on, maneuvering them past clusters of zombies, but eventually they came across a horde. The density of it was so bad they were forced to duck into a stairwell on the side of a building to avoid the zombies’ path. 

The Akatsuki watched on and listened in awe and horror, though neither was apparent by the blank and bored looks on their faces. There were so many...too many. There had to have been over two hundred of them there, groaning, croaking in an unnatural manner, and not all of them looked as rotten as the female zombie that had been the cause of Evan’s demise.

In fact, it made it worse that some of them looked as...fresh as Evan had. They looked like normal people who had just slipped up in some blood, but the bite marks were as clear as day. Men, women, children, marched, limped, and dragged themselves slowly towards where the group had just come from, driven only by some hellish insatiable hunger.

Most of their group was uncomfortably squeezed into the base of the stairwell, while Hidan, Konan, and Sasori sat on the stone stairs. There was barely any breathing room, the place not originally designed to hold so many people for any longer than a minute. No one complained though, and more because any noise they would make would attract the cannibals less than seven feet away from them, and less because they didn’t mind.

Ian sat near the top of the stairwell to make sure no zombies would fall on top of their heads, or get near enough to. His face was calm, concentrated on the task at hand. The gun in his hand dangled easily, his nerves not nearly as on edge as the Akatsuki’s were. There was a strange mix of calm tension in the air that made time seem to pass by much slower than it actually was.

Dante was the first to note the newcomers’ unease and since he was already uncomfortably squished next to Pein, he turned to him. “I guess you guys haven’t ever been pinned down by a horde before,” he asked in a hushed tone that everyone heard regardless due to their trained skills.

Pein didn’t even bother to look over to the other man and stiffly shook his head in response. “It’s...unnerving,” he responded truthfully seeing no reason to hide anything.

“We are a very paranoid bunch, Dante,” Kisame commented from his position next to Pein. He grinned in an bemused manner, to which Dante smiled uncomfortably in response.

Pein sighed lightly as he then looked at Dante, “I believe we’d all feel ten times better if we all were able to obtain weapons.”

Dante nodded in understanding, “Won’t be long now, we’re halfway home.”

Ian frowned as he saw something troubling further down the street, there were a few stragglers being pushed to the sidewalk due to the density of the horde, if they continued on their current path, they’d fall right on top of their heads. Ian slowly stood up, gaining his group’s attention. Dante shrugged as if to ask what was wrong. Ian pointed down the street as a response and then turned slowly to look around him.

Dante was allowed through the tightly packed group of people around him to join Ian on the stairs. He turned around and saw the problem, his brow furrowed. He nearly jumped when Ian tapped his shoulder, and looked at the shorter man in confusion. Ian then pointed at a trash can on the side of a staircase, he was confused on how this would help but then Dante spotted what was in the trash.

By now, Pein had joined the two men on the sidewalk and had assessed the situation for himself, and found himself confused as to why their two guides were now digging through the trash. He watched as Dante suddenly turned down the street, facing towards where the zombies were travelling, and threw something over the horde’s heads.

_ Crash! _

The sound of glass breaking was unmistakable, and Pein understood, they were trying to alter the zombies’ path. A sound plan, he supposed. They were blind, and therefore, could be treated much like sheep, easy to herd. This was one of the only good things he had learned about this strange yet imposing enemy, besides them being slow, he could stand in full view of them and not be detected unless he made noise.

Standing this close to them was daunting, yet it tempted something in him, a temptation he was much too sane to give into. It tempted him to yell out at the monstrosities, challenge them, toy with them. If he had Hidan’s recklessness, perhaps he would have.

Ian then chucked another glass object down the street, when it shattered, the horde in front of them all at once got louder. Their throaty, primal, meaningless calls telling that they had heard it. They began to move more towards the noise, taking them a few more feet away from their group. Pein looked down the street to note, that Ian and Dante’s efforts seemed to have worked. The few zombies that had wandered a bit too close to their group’s hiding spot, had further merged with the rest of the horde, chasing the noise.

Ian grinned at Dante, giving a small fist pump in success. Dante smirked, suppressing a chuckle.

After the close call, Pein and Dante decided to stay out on the street while Ian rested his eyes at the top of the steps. Pein didn’t see any reason to return to the stairwell, and Dante wasn’t a fan of being crowded with a group of people. The two of them took over the responsibility of watching the horde until it passed.

As Pein and Dante looked down the street, Pein decided to observe Dante more while he wasn’t looking. 

The man stood almost a head over Pein in height, his skin darker than what Pein was used to seeing. The tone of skin seemed to be natural and though darker, reminded him much of shinobi from the Hidden Cloud. Though that wasn’t what intrigued Pein, it wasn’t his casual ragged clothes, or amiable nature, but Dante’s hair. Pein thought back to his travels across the shinobi world and came up blank, having never before seen hair with such a texture. Rougher, curly, and more compressed than what he was used to seeing, and the style Dante’s hair was in was even stranger. Of course Pein had never seen dreadlocks before, and seeing the tight black braids that fell down past the man’s shoulders, tied back in a ponytail, elicited a strange irritation from him. 

Pein had already come to terms with the fact that wherever they had been transported to, was far away from anything any of the Akatsuki had ever known, and whoever had done this, had made sure to target their chakra. For what reason though, Pein still had no idea. The most believable theory so far, was that this was a sort of assassination attempt, with this world having already killed two of their members. But if the person was indeed powerful and skilled enough to transport them to this so called “District of Columbia” where there existed no chakra or shinobi, and without their memories on top of that, why not confront them in person? It all seemed too convoluted and roundabout, and if they wanted to kill the Akatsuki, they’d have to be watching close by to make sure they actually had.

But they sensed no chakra, each and every one of them, sensed nothing. Even without most of their own, even if the person watching was concealing their chakra, the Akatsuki would have been able to sense it. It didn’t make any sense, not a damn bit of it.

Dante watched the last of the horde pass them by, he let out a slight sigh of relief, beyond glad that that was over, never enjoying being pinned down by a horde before. He then glanced over to Pein, he seemed to still be watching the horde leave, a strangely calm look on his face. Dante had thought the man to be strange from the moment he met him. Blunt, straight faced, and paranoid, undoubtedly the leader of the group Dante found him with. Dante had entertained the idea that they were a part of the military, only to reason out, if that were the case, they’d have weapons, use military jargon, be a little less clueless, and be dressed in proper military wear and not...whatever they were wearing. Dante nudged the man with his elbow. “Okay I think we’re good.” He stood up off of the wall to go over to Ian and shake his shoulder.

Ian’s eyes opened slowly as he gave a low groan. Hidan snickered, “Woah, don’t tell me you actually fell asleep shit-for-brains!” 

Ian sighed as he rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands, and put them down to stare at Hidan with a blank expression. Hidan smirked, expecting Ian to attempt to shoot a smart retort at him or to try and hit him, but found himself disappointed when the other man stood up without a word, leaving the stairwell. Dante patted Ian’s back as he passed him, having stood there the entire time. Dante then shrugged at Hidan in what was supposed to be an apologetic gesture, but the smirk on his face said something entirely different. “Alright, we’re good to go guys. Let’s hope we don’t run into another horde,” Dante informed those still in the stairwell before going out into the street where Ian was already going ahead.

Again, Ian led the group from afar, scouting for any trouble ahead and only turning back to silently tell the group to hurry up, much to their annoyance. Dante would only chuckle awkwardly and give the excuse, that Ian was probably eager to get home and rest, after the day they’d had.

When they had finally made it to their destination, the sun had started to set, painting the sky and everything it bounced off of, burnt orange. 

The Akatsuki were overall unimpressed with the building they had been brought to. It was like most buildings they’d seen so far, tall - about four stories - and made of brick, dull besides a few strange illustrations that framed a few windows. There were three people around the entrance that waved once they saw Ian and Dante. Two were armed with fire axes while the one in between them held a handgun in his hands.

The man with the gun walked to meet Ian before he got to the door and began speaking to him while glaring past him, his irritated gaze seemed to be focused on Dante.

Pein spoke lowly to Dante without turning his head, his eyes focused on the man speaking to Ian. “It seems we’re not wanted here...” Dante nodded sharply in response before shaking his head as if to say, ‘what can you do?’ 

“Welp, too late, looks like you’re already here and we’re going to help you guys as much as we can.” Dante held his hand out for his bag. “Don’t worry about Jackson, he’s a head figure here, but so am I.” Pein placed the strap of Dante’s bag into the man’s awaiting hand without another word as they approached Ian and the man - Jackson - that had finally stopped whispering as he noticed them getting closer. “Jackson,” Dante greeted in a formal tone.

Said man nodded before looking at the group behind him and giving them a tight uncomfortable smile, “You’ve brought quite a large group with you Dante. It’s nice to meet you all, I’m Amon Jackson, you can call me Jackson.”

Dante opened his mouth to speak, but Jackson raised a hand to stop him. “Dante, I know...” He let his hand drop and sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I usually would try to turn away any group this large with a quick trip to our nurse and an hour’s rest but...”, Jackson turned to Ian who casually tugged at his blonde curls, “What you all did for Ian and Dante...tried to do for Evan, deserves the best of what we can do for you."

Dante blinked in surprise, but didn’t let much else show on his face. “I’m glad Ian told you.” He glanced at Ian who had his eyes downcast, staring at the ground. “They were a huge help.”

Jackson sighed and turned to the building behind him, “Well, someone has to break the news to Sarita... Ian, take over for me.” He began walking, putting his gun in a holster on his waist.

Dante frowned and followed after him as Ian took a step aside. “Wait, what the hell Jackson, I should tell her, you don’t need to! He died on my watch, you shouldn’t have to...”

The rest of the group followed after the two men, leaving Ian standing in the road. They watched as Dante tried to stop Jackson. The latter just sighed, “You do not want Sarita angry at you while she’s treating you Dante, what if you need stitches? Y’know we don’t have anesthesia.” Jackson climbed the three steps that led to the front, opening the both the metal bar door, and the wooden one. “Angry Sarita equals tight ass stitches. I’m doing you a favor.”, he chuckled dismissing Dante’s frustration holding the metal door behind him to prevent it from closing.

Dante huffed and grabbed the door handle and glanced back to the group following close behind, “Well do you think she won’t know it was me? You telling her won’t change anything.” He held the door for the group while Jackson stood inside off to the side to let them inside.

As the Akatsuki looked around the inside of the building, it looked similar to the lobby of a very small hotel, at least five doors that likely led to rooms were visible behind the front desk area, and a staircase that went up, behind the desk itself. There were a few people standing about. Staring at the group with either curiosity, or suspicion. It seemed that they too were privy to what danger newcomers could bring. Jackson and Dante continued their conversation behind them as the latter closed the doors.

“It wasn’t you that killed him Dante, she’s not irrational.”, Jackson stated. Dante turned and gave him a look that spoke volumes, Jackson sighed, “She’s not  _ that  _ irrational.” Dante exhaled deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

“Fine. Whatever, do what you want.”, he gave up, throwing his hand down to his side. Dante dropped his bag to fall into his hands, throwing it over his shoulder. He walked over past the Akatsuki and into the hallway to disappear into a back room. Jackson walked over and huffed a tired sigh, “There’s no peace with that kid.” He turned to Deidara and gave a strange smile, “In the meantime, you can come meet the nurse! She’ll see to that arm of yours.” He turned and left up the stairs still speaking to the group leaving no room for conversation, “The rest of you can stay here till I find you all a room you can use to rest up.” 

Deidara hesitantly followed after him after a few silent looks between him and the rest of the group.

Before Deidara could properly get halfway up the stairs Sasori was following after him with a sigh, “I’ll make sure nothing strange goes on with this  _ nurse _ ...” He muttered to Pein as he passed him. The other man nodded in acknowledgement as he turned to Konan and spoke to her quietly.

Kakuzu grumbled under his breath as he pulled his arms from the sleeves of his cloak to allow them to hang closer to his side. Hidan decided to crouch and sit on the ground where he stood, playing with the hatchet he’d been given in his hands.

Kisame stood by Itachi, a slight grin on his face as he spoke. “I wonder if we’ll be able to acquire any weapons like Dante and those men had...though I doubt it.”, he trailed off looking around at the suspicious faces around the room his grin turning amused, “Those men outside, you’d think they’d be given 'guns’ as well, but they only had axes...”

Itachi gave a short nod, “It seems that there are not enough of them to go around, though they make sure to have at least one among those guarding the building. Though I don’t think it will be a problem.” He stared blankly at the ground in thought.

Kisame nodded in agreement, “Yes. It does seem that...more discreet weapons will be of importance to find in our situation.”

Kakuzu scoffed bringing the two’s attention to him, “You two are correct, and the only one of us with such a weapon is ogling it like a child with a toy.”

Hidan’s ears perked up at this, with an annoyed hum he gripped the base of the hatchet and hit the side of the blade on the base of his palm repeatedly. “Kakuzu, you bastard! You know that’s not what I’m doing!”, he gave a cocky smirk, “I’m doing something of real importance with this thing!”

“Tearing out your vocal chords with it I hope?”, Kakuzu droned out.

Hidan nearly swung his hatchet at the man’s legs, shouting before a sudden loud thump came from upstairs, distracting him.

Pein looked at the stairs, holding his hand up as an order for the rest of the group to stay back before rushing up the stairs. He nearly bumped into Sasori who had a startled look on his normally apathetic face, stopping before he did. Pein opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but Sasori was one step ahead of him.

“He’s fine, the nurse seems to know what she’s doing and she’s doing it well, despite just being told of that man’s death. Trust me, they are the least of our worries at the moment.”, he informed trailing off as Dante came up behind Pein.

“What are you guys doing?”, the man questioned seeming confused, “Did Sarita drive you out?”

Pein turned to look at the man, shaking his head. “No, it’s nothing of importance.”, he glanced to Sasori who adopted a look of indifference on his face, “We were just talking.”

Dante frowned, not seeming to buy it. After giving them both another look though, he decided whatever it was, it was none of his business. “Alright, whatever you say.”, he uttered in response as he climbed the stairs past the two men.

Sasori waited to speak until Dante’s footsteps disappeared out of hearing to speak, his face going serious once again. “You need to take a look at this-No... Rather,” he trailed off bringing a bejeweled green hand mirror out of his cloak, “You need to take a look at yourself...”

Pein gave an off frown, not understanding what the problem was with a simple hand mirror, but took it nonetheless. He did as Sasori bidded him to, and looked at his reflection.

And did not see himself.

Not that he normally would, the body his soul was in, previously belonging to one of his best friend...

But Pein did not recognize the person in the mirror at all. Off brown shaggy hair that fell around his head, no rinnegan to be seen, and instead hazel eyes stared back at him in shock.

Sasori took the opportunity to start explaining, “Deidara noticed before me, saw me in the reflection and noticed my eyes looked human. After looking more closely, the hinges of my puppet body aren’t showing in the mirror, and my hair seems less red.” He gave an irritated huff as he crossed his arms, “We didn’t have the chance to see what was different about Deidara himself, but he was able to make a distraction long enough for me to grab this from the nurse’s belongings.”

“And I suppose the rest of the Akatsuki will also look vastly different in the reflection of a mirror... Is this how these people see us?”, Pein wondered to himself nearly pushing the mirror back into Sasori’s hands. He felt a migraine coming on.

“Even back in our world, civilians stared at us in horror, regarded us as higher beings... Now...”, Sasori sighed as he hid the mirror back in his cloak, “We look like civilians too.”

Pein opened his mouth to speak but stopped as he noticed that they were being watched from the top of the stairs. He frowned and Sasori turned to stare annoyed at the man and young girl peeking around the corner to stare at them. Both had a child-like wonder written on their expressions. Pein chided himself for not noticing their presence earlier, but then remembered that these people had no chakra, and therefore, would be hard to sense if he was distracted as he was moments before.

Sasori sighed and faced the two that had yet to speak to them, “Yes? You know it’s rude to eavesdrop.”

The young girl looked surprised that he had spoken, but looked anything but apologetic as she looked up to the man peeking around the corner with her. “I thought you said he couldn’t talk! Liar!”, she accused with a smile on her face.

The man gave a sheepish smile, “Sorry, guess I was mistaken. Coulda’ sworn he was mute!” He shrugged as he adjusted his box framed glasses, leaning back on the far wall and stuffing his hands into his hoodie pouch.

Both shinobi stared at the two in confusion, they’d never seen this man before, and he claimed to know things about Sasori. Incorrect things, but nonetheless, it was strange.

The young girl shook her head in a pitying manner, “What am I gonna do with you?” She put her hands on her hips with a pout, “Don’t lie again, okay?” She turned to Sasori and Pein with a curious grin. “Anyways, what’s an a-cat-su-whatever? And why are your eyes purple?”

Both Pein’s and Sasori’s annoyed gaze turned surprised as they looked at the child that seemed expectant of an answer. She tilted her head impatiently, “Who the heck  _ are _ you guys?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pein isn't looking himself...literally. We've have some more characters introduced this chapter and... No one died!  
> I see that as a rousing success don't you all? (Considering my kill count so far and it only being the fourth chapter. >->)
> 
> Sorry it took so long to update this, but I must remind you, I am a full time student in college and grades always have to take priority over fan fiction (sadly). Sorry, I don't make the rules!
> 
> Though I do make this story, so please any predictions you have, any ideas, or thoughts on what's occurred so far, please do post them below! If I'm doing something you don't like and think I could do better, I won't know if you don't let me know, so don't be afraid to give constructive criticism!
> 
> Please don't post, "Please update" or things like, "What's taking so long?", again. I have a life outside of writing these stories for FREE. So please be considerate.
> 
> Thank you all for your support, it really means everything, and I honestly wouldn't be able to keep going if people didn't even read and review. So thank you!


	5. New Rule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new rule takes time to get used to.

So, it’s definitely been a week since this all happened. I keep losing track of days with how much I sleep throughout the day. I’m running low on food but I’m doing okay with water. I need to get out of the city... I only came to check if my dad was still alive...guess not. It’s really dangerous here.

I’ve already cried, more than I cared to, but not anymore. It’s exhausting. There’s no point in grieving when I can’t spare the energy. If I cry myself sick every time I lose someone else...I might as well put a bullet in my head right then. I can’t afford to...feel as much as I did before this all happened.

To survive right now, I have to stop feeling, and start thinking if I want to survive. And as much as I numb myself, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. I still want to live, now more than anything.

I open my eyes to the sound of frantic banging at a door that’s not my own. It resounds through the apartment building with an echo as the knocking becomes more frantic. “Anyone?! Please! Please is anyone there!”, the cries of a boy reach my ears and I sigh as I stand.

I walk over to the door and check the locks on the door, secure. Alright. I move back towards the couch as I hear the zombies upstairs moving slowly downstairs, their feet hit the metal steps slowly, one after the other.

As I sit back down on the couch I can hear the boy’s crying and rising panic realizing the zombies are coming for him. I allow the couch to take all of my weight as I sink into it, and close my eyes. I absently wonder if the zombies downstairs have been drawn up from all the ruckus.

The boy’s hurried footfalls retreat down the stairs a bit before coming right back with more panicked yells, there they were then.

 _‘Idiot, should have run sooner._ ’

There’s a massive thump and clambering sound, did one of the zombies fall down the stairs? I shrug dismissing the thought, this guy was as good as dead but I didn’t want to listen to it, I’d never get to sleep. I sigh and open my eyes to grab a pillow but I freeze as I hear something new.

It’s not the boy, it’s not the zombies...a baby...

In a moment I’m at the door frantically undoing the locks on the door before I can remind myself of my new rule. I throw the door open and blindly grab the boy’s arm not holding the bundle, snatching him inside before the horde of zombies can grab him.

There’s a zombie crawling on the ground scrambling for the door with a disturbing speed that I’d never seen before, panicking I shoot my foot out to kick it in the face before slamming the door shut and locking it again. I lock the deadbolt the security chain and spin around to immediately go to the couch again. I push the large seat in front of the door with much effort, and without much help from the boy at all really.

I stand there for a moment, listening to the zombies now pounding and clawing at the door, and I wait. I wait for what feels like an hour and probably was, unmoving, and waiting to see if the barricade would hold.

Eventually I turn my head to look at the boy, he looks more afraid than he should be, sitting on the floor leant against the wall. He seems to be just a bit older than me, but an idiot according to the shit he’d just pulled. I stared at the bundle in his arms, small hands clenched the blue cover wrapped around it, at least he’d calmed the thing down.

I frown finally standing as I walk over to him and crouch in front of him to stare him straight in the eyes. “What. The fuck. Was that?”, I force myself to not raise my voice as I question him.

He opens his mouth to answer me looking a bit indignant, “I-!” I slap a hand over his mouth, and shake my head. He was raising his voice, this idiot really doesn’t know anything.

“Sound. Attracts the freaks outside. You want to stay safe? Keep. Fucking. Quiet.”, I explain to him not moving my hand until he nods in understanding.

He sighs, “I don’t understand what’s happening here...what are those things? What happened here? And where are the police, the army, anyone?” His voice is desperate, his eyes are still filled with tears. He shakes his head hopelessly, “I...I don’t understand.”

I sigh pinching the bridge of my nose, “Name?”

He blinks for a moment before nodding, “Uh? O-oh yeah uh... Noah...and uh, this is Sylvester.” He presents the bundle of Sylvester who just stares at me with big brown eyes, his mouth make little gurgling noises as he coos. I feel something clench in my chest and I stand to go sit on the couch. “Are you okay?”, Noah asks as I go.

I nod covering my face with both hands, “Call me Salam.” He nods understanding and I peek over my hands to lock eyes with Sylvester again. Of course I wasn’t okay, I broke my rule.

It was expected though, I love babies, I love people. Unavoidable really. Everything was unavoidable, including death. So I knew, I’d regret ever seeing that face. It reminded me of the one thing I can never change, I am human. I care about people.

' _Goddammit..._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our girl has some good company finally! Trying to distance yourself from people is difficult when people are all you've got.
> 
> Thank you for reading, tell me what you thought below? I'd love some ideas for what you think the Akatsuki look like to everyone else. I might implement some of your ideas if you do. ;)
> 
> I'll be creating a tumblr page soon and posting all of this there as well, I'll be linking it in the next chapter, be on the lookout. Have a nice one!


	6. Surprises for All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting, stopping and moving along.

Dante watched from his chair as Sarita cleaned out Deidara's gunshot wound, thankfully the bullet had gone all the way through, and even with the blood loss thus far, Deidara somehow still clung to consciousness and looked nowhere near faint. Dante's eyes however, were trained on the strange looking tattoo on the other man's chest in curiosity. It looked like a...gate, he figured? Lines making out the shape of a curved gate and the same image flipped on the bottom. He'd have to ask what the deal was with that later...

"Yo, dumbass!", Sarita called bringing his attention to her. Dante flinched and gave a sheepish smile, the woman responded with a disappointed scowl. "Gauze. Weren't you listening?", she asked her voice telling that she already knew the answer.

Dante stood quickly and walked over to the bureau to retrieve a patch of gauze from the medical kit sitting on top. He brought it over to where Deidara sat on the bed in the room, Sarita snatched it out of his hand before returning back to her work. Dante felt his face become hot with shame as he chided himself, he really shouldn't smile at all. He backed away, giving the woman her space.

Sarita had just found out about Evan, and she was still working. It was hard to remember that she was even upset about it. The cousins were pretty close from what he had seen, he didn't understand how she wasn't breaking down right now. If it had been his brothers...god he didn't even want to think about it. Though once you started to worry about the well being of a loved one, it was near impossible to stop.

"Have any family in the city Deidara?", Sarita asked as she folded a length of gauze in her hands. Dante turned his attention to the other two in the room, thank god, a distraction. He walked over to the far wall to lean against it once more, paying attention in case Sarita needed help again.

The blonde man shook his head, "Nah, orphan." He watched the the young woman as she pressed the gauze onto his stitched up shoulder wound. Her eyes were focused on the task in front of her, her face stony. If it were not for this look and pure concentration, Deidara would not have believed she was a nurse, or training to be one. Though he was the last person to get hung up on appearances.

When he had come into the room, she had been leaning against a medicine cabinet as if she'd been expecting him. She was wearing all black, black tank top, black jeans, black heeled boots. She even had a spiked black jacket which she had put aside for the moment. All the black was probably meant to draw attention to her face and hair, Deidara figured. After all, it was hard to not notice her bright green hair pulled into a Mohawk with clips and pins atop her head. She really did resemble many of the shinobi of his old village, he thought, darker skin than Kakuzu's but not as dark as Dante's. After analyzing her appearance, Deidara figured he had figured out what this woman was like behind her hard-ass facade.

"Sorry to hear.", Sarita mumbled not really sounding sorry at all. Deidara grunted in response, his attention moving to Sasori as he re-entered the room, though his gaze stayed fixed on a random spot on the floor. Sarita pulled at his arm to get him to raise it, he did so with little difficulty.

"How about you, Sasori was it? Any family in town?", Sarita asked as she pulled a thin cloth to wrap around Deidara's shoulder over top the gauze. Sasori looked over at the back of her head.

"No. They're dead.", he muttered with little emotion. He then walked over by Dante to lean back on the wall near a bureau that Sarita's purse sat on. Dante looked at him in shock at his nonchalance, Sasori ignored him.

Sarita didn't falter in her attention to wrapping Deidara's arm but she spared the man a glance, "Sorry to hear." The man grunted dismissively in response. Sarita then glanced up at Deidara as she finished wrapping his wound. "Alright, you're set. Don't be stupid, don't break your stitches, and I won't break you.", she spoke lowly and casually as she turned to pump some hand sanitizer into her hands.

Deidara stood from the bed and pulled his discarded shirt back on with practiced caution so as to not mess up his bandages.

Deidara stood from the bed and pulled his discarded shirt back on with practiced caution so as to not mess up his bandages. Once his head made it through he looked over at Sasori as the man stood by Sarita's open purse her mirror barely sticking out of the opening. Deidara pulled his hair out of the head hole. So Pein knew, good.

"Okay, now you.", Sarita stated turning to Dante and commanding him to come over. The man flinched in surprise not seeming to have been paying attention before walking over. Sarita crossed her arms, "Any chance you're gonna be as cooperative as Deidara and not cry like a little bitch?"

Dante frowned at her and shrugged, "I don't _think_ I'll cry like a bitch if that helps?"

Sarita sighed and went to her medical kit to look through it, "Crying like a bitch is permitted, just not like a little bitch." She then sighed and glanced back at the other two in the room, "I'd appreciate it if you two didn't loiter. Sasori I only let you stay so you could make sure your boyfriend was okay y'know. You can go now."

Sasori opened his mouth beyond furious, but nothing came out. He honestly had no words to express his anger at the girl's preposterous assumption. "I-. I would never! This brat isn't my 'boyfriend' little girl!", he found himself finally able to spit out.

Sarita laughed as she pulled a length of thread out from her kit, not even sparing the man a glance. "You're one to be calling me little, kid. How old are you? 15? It's okay, you'll hit puberty soon and get taller. Maybe.", she turned her attention to Dante, "Deidara, take care of your boy-toy,-Pull your dreads back Dante-Trust me I'll tear your stitches out a lot faster than I put 'em in if you piss me off k?"

Deidara grabbed his cloak and Sasori by the shoulders, steering the livid puppet master out of the room before any blood was shed. It was only Sasori's more trained self control that kept him from screaming in indignation at his idiotic partner and the twice as idiotic girl. As soon as Deidara closed the door behind them, he ducked as Sasori swung around aiming for his head.

"Don't put your hands on me again you brat! What the hell are you-!", Sasori trailed off as he noticed. Deidara was laughing, quietly, but laughing nonetheless. "Was that _funny_ to you?", he gritted out.

Deidara grinned shrugging, "Well, yes? She can't help but think you're a kid remember? She only sees what we see in the mirror. At least that's the theory is right?"

Sasori was able to use this statement to calm himself, "Yes, fine, but that doesn't mean she's any less of a arrogant child... Why weren't you angry with her?" He questioned honestly curious.

Deidara just shrugged nonchalantly with a smirk, "I don't know. I guess after she started making fun of you I wasn't really bothered."

Sasori rolled his eyes muttering, "I wonder why..." He walked past the other man bumping into his arm. "Follow me."

Deidara turned to follow him down the hall, wondering why they weren't going downstairs. He figured that Jackson had found them a room so they could rest but was confused to walk into a room and see Pein talking with a man and young girl.

Sasori walked in joining Pein's side gesturing to the strangers as he spoke, "This man is Oliver, Ian's boyfriend. The little girl is Willow, she can...partially see us, the true us."

"I don't get what you're talking about! Your eyes are purple and your hair is red, like suuuuper red!", Willow spoke looking to Oliver hoping for confirmation, "You really can't see it?"

Oliver just shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry Willow. Maybe there's something wrong with my glasses..." He then promptly pulled his glasses off his face and began to clean them.

Deidara wordlessly closed the door to the room behind him as he walked over to Pein and Sasori's side. His eyes bounced between the two and he looked over to Pein and muttered, "Oliver looks like us. Not like Dante and Ian, he looks like he comes from our world. Have you asked if he knows anything?"

Pein answered not looking away from the two in front of him, "No, I deemed it too risky. To ask I'd need to reveal, and we've revealed too much about ourselves already. I did ask him about why he looks similar to us though."

Sasori sighed, "He said it was because we're all 'Asian'. Whatever that means. Said he himself was half-Korean, again whatever that means."

Deidara just shook his head, "This place gets more and more confusing the more we learn." He looked at the little girl twiddling her thumbs with a pout on her face, "Are we going to have her look at the rest of us as well?"

"Done!", Oliver shouted placing his glasses back on and interrupting the quiet of the room. He stared at the three men and smiled wider, "They look the same!"

Willow groaned in frustration throwing her hands down to her side and stomping her foot in a small tantrum, "I'm not lying! I'm not!" She then left the room in a huff.

"Wait! Willow!", Oliver called softly trying to follow after her but Pein pulled him back by the shoulder before he could. Oliver frowned up at the man, "I need to talk to Willow sir."

Pein let go of him giving him a curious once over before explaining himself, "I need to know why you thought my friend was mute. Could you tell me?" He allowed a tone of polite curiosity into his voice as he asked.

Oliver blinked a few times before looking over to Sasori, his expression turned uncomfortable. "I...I dunno. It's like it just doesn't seem like he _should_ be able to speak... Something doesn't seem right about it."

He then turned his attention to Pein, "And you...you just seem wrong all around, like everything about you is false... I can't explain it and I'm sorry, sometimes I just get impressions about people and that's what I saw looking at you guys."

The shinobi in the room didn't know what to make of that.

Pein sighed and gestured to the door, "Okay, thank you Oliver. You can go."

Oliver nodded hesitantly and turned to rush out the room. "Willow? Willow dear please come back!", his voice called slowly growing softer the further he got from them.

Pein turned to the shinobi behind him, not really knowing what to say.

Deidara then frowned deeply closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he thought. "Hmm, none of this makes sense...Unless...", he trailed off for a moment making Sasori frown.

"Unless what? Spit it out!", he ordered in a irate tone.

Deidara opened his eyes wide, "No..." He turned to Sasori, "Sasori, does your puppet's body have vocal chords?"

The puppet master blinked in surprise at the question but then frowned, "No. All of my speech comes from my core and up out of my mouth. The body itself has no vocal chords really."

Deidara nodded expecting an answer like that, "If you didn't have your core, you wouldn't be able to speak, _that's_ why he thought you couldn't speak!"

Pein looked down the empty hall thinking this over, "Even in the shinobi world there exist civilians with keen senses they can use to recognize shinobi, empaths. In a place without chakara, it's possible that any empathetic person would be able to pick up on something that shouldn't be possible by their standards."

Deidara and Sasori shared a look but didn't say anything. What Oliver had perceived about Pein was intriguing but not enough to tempt them into questioning their leader about it.

"Pein?", Konan's voice called from downstairs. Said man sighed and left the room motioning for the two shinob to follow after him.

Pein was frustrated but he didn't let that distract him, any new information would help at this point, whether it related to their own world or not.

"I'm here", he responded as he walked down the hall and descended the stairs.

Dante listened to the movement and conversation outside in the hall trying to not concentrate on the needle pushing into his- "OW, fucking hell!", he gritted out through clenched teeth. He didn't jolt or flinch, and instead did the exact opposite, clenching up every muscle every time the needle pushed in and lifted back out.

"Bordering on little bitch Dante.", Sarita warned thankful that Dante was at least staying still. It was hell to stitch an unwilling and struggling patient, she'd have to call people in to hold them down, another to keep them from screaming. She wished she could use a smelling salt to knock some of her more "jumpy" patients out and then do what she needed to. Technically she figured, she could now. There was no one to argue the ethics of treating an unconscious person when the world was going to hell. No one of importance anyway.

Sarita finished up the last of her work and then cleaned the blood from Dante's wound. "So, where were you when my little cousin was dying Dante?", she asked wiping her hands with sanitizer on them.

Dante froze up but kept eye contact with the woman in front of him, "I was scavenging... He said the building looked and sounded clear so...we let him search it." He averted his eyes down to his shoes, "I don't suppose...you want to hear how sorry I am."

Sarita stared at him intensely before sighing and turning to her medical kit and methodically rearranging its contents, "No."

Dante nodded hesitantly watching her for a moment before getting up and walking to the door, unable to help himself he muttered a soft thanks before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Sarita would rather die than be seen crying, that or kill anyone that saw her crying. She was prideful, that had been the first thing Dante had learned when they first met. He was sure if he suffered another one of Sarita's infamous slaps, his neck would near break from the whiplash.

The man sighed deeply and looked off to his right, he'd heard Oliver a few minutes before sounding worried. He himself didn't know how to speak with the other man too afraid that he'd say something wrong, so that left only one thing for Dante to do.

He received some glances from the group he'd found as he came downstairs but no one said anything to him as he passed by them.

Then Jackson called, "Dante? Where are you going?" Dante turned to see his head poking out over the staircase railing, looking annoyed. "You just had your head stitched up, you shouldn't be going out again.", Jackson added on as he leaned on the railing his chin resting on his crossed arms.

Dante shook his head, "I'm not 'going' anywhere." Without another word he left the building leaving Jackson to frown at the closing door.

The man then looked at the group of newcomers and waved them over with a tired smile, "Found a room for ya' come on!"

He led them upstairs and then upstairs again, down the hall there was a reasonably sized room with a woman sitting on a sleeping bag in the corner. "This is Ayoung, she's agreed to share her room with you all. Now, she's deaf but she knows ASL and if you guys don't know that then she's got a pencil and notepad if you all want to chat.", Jackson introduced the woman who waved and made a couple of hand gestures.

The Akatsuki supposed that these gestures were the 'ASL' Jackson spoke of, they looked nothing like jutsu hand gestures so they relaxed when nothing happened after she'd finished. Jackson nodded to them and tried to back out of the room and potential conversation. "If you'll excuse me.", he muttered.

After a moment of silence Hidan hesitantly stood up from the group placing his hatchet down, and made a few hand gestures of his own. Ayoung's face lit up and she stood from her sleeping bag making many quick hand gestures to which Hidan answered back with just as much vigor.

The rest of the group watched the violent, reckless, impulsive shinobi with muted shock as he appeared to be having a polite and pleasant conversation with the woman. "You're actually useful for something. Color me pleasantly surprised.", Kakuzu commented with amusement in his voice. Hidan gave him an irritated look but strangely enough, did not respond.

He kept his attention on Ayoung, surprising his fellow shinobi when he let go of a pleasant smile to the woman after making a few select gestures and she blushed in return giving a few slower gestures back before nodding and turning to pick up her hand bag and go through it.

In seconds she turned back and walked over to Hidan and placed a small hand mirror in his awaiting hand. Hidan smiled again and leaned forward to hold her head in both hands and kiss her forehead in thanks, the woman blushed harder and shook her head. They exchanged a few more hand gestures before Ayoung left the room waving to them all as if she'd forgotten there had been others in the room besides her and Hidan.

Hidan turned to the rest of the group, and when he found he was being stared at he frowned. "What?"

"What is ASL and how do you know it?", Pein asked.

Hidan shrugged, "I've never heard of ASL in my life but I'd have to guess it's just another title for Hand Speak. I knew some deaf kids when I was little, learned it from them." He then opened the mirror in his hand to look at himself.

Kakuzu sighed and shook his head, "What did you say to her anyways? Going to pay her back tonight for the help?"

Hidan opened his mouth wide, to everyone's surprise, outright offended. "That was fucking disgusting! What the fuck ya' old pervert!", he exclaimed in disgust, "I may be a killer but there needs to be a fuckin' line drawn when it comes to fucking people for information! Fuck!" He shook his head more than annoyed and sat down to look at himself in the mirror.

Hazel eyes and light blonde hair greeted him in his reflection, he scrunched his nose in distaste. He appeared to be an albino.

The mirror was tossed to the group, and caught by Kisame. The man analyzed his appearance. His skin was darker than Dante's, wide green eyes blinked in shock from behind black twisted hair that hung around his face. When he opened his mouth, normal straight teeth sat in place of the sharp ones he could still feel when he gave his finger an experimental bite. He numbly held the mirror out for the next person.

Kakuzu was pleased to find that not much of him had changed, the red of his scleras were gone and when he pulled off his head wrap and mask, a normal mouth with no stitches and slightly darker colored hair greeted him. He did not angle the mirror to look at his back, he had an inkling that his masks would not be there.

Itachi was next to receive the mirror, and just like Kakuzu, his appearance hadn't changed much. His skin was a few shades darker and his hair was the same texture, it appeared to have the same black color, but when he tilted his head, there were hints of his hair actually being a very dark brown when caught in the light seeping into the room. His eyes were brown, and the wrinkles that he was so used to seeing on the outsides of his nose were not as prominent. And there were dark circles under his eyes, telling how little he slept every night.

Pein was the last to get the mirror, not needing it himself, but for Konan. He led her away from the door and further into the room not wanting to speak to her so close to the others. Konan let out a barely noticeable sigh as Pein stood behind her and held the mirror out in front of her.

Pein glanced down at the back of her head glancing back at the shinobi behind him, they seemed to not be paying attention. "How is your vision?", he asked turning back to her. It took a minute of tense silence to realize that Konan wasn't answering. Pein frowned, "Konan."

His friend barely reacted outside of a glance in his direction, "Everything is immensely blurry. Even if I look different, all I can see are colors and vague shapes. If you want to see my appearance to further understand how these people see us, then do so. Otherwise, return the mirror to that woman when she comes back." Pein opened his mouth to question Konan's change in attitude but then thought better of it.

Without another word between them, Pein looked into the mirror and at Konan's appearance within it. Warmly colored hair hung around her face, appearing much shorter than her hair in reality only reaching the nape of her neck. Her skin appeared to be the same tone, and her eyes while still being the same auburn color, were faded in saturation and dull. Like the eyes of a blind person. His mouth pulled into a tight frown.

"You have short brown hair, and while your eyes appear to be the same color, they look glassy. Otherwise you look the same.", Pein explained in a hushed tone.

Konan nodded slightly, "I understand. That must be why everyone can tell that my vision...why they think I am blind." She turned slightly to Pein and began speaking quietly, "How long do we intend to stay here? 'Tobi' is dead and so is Zetsu. We don't know where we are, where we are going, nor how we will get back to anything that could be familiar territory. I do not wish to overwhelm you with so many problems at once but..." She looked to his face with a frown, "Do you have a plan?"

Pein hummed out a sigh, he had been thinking since they had arrived at the apartment. The sun was nearly set outside, so leaving didn't seem like the wisest option. It seemed there were many people inside this building, most of which they hadn't even encountered yet, so they might pose a threat to them if they were to become hostile. Though Pein sincerely doubted it after meeting Evan, Dante, Ian and even Jackson. Though the latter of them did seem to be the least trusting and naive, he wasn't close to giving any of the Akatsuki a run for their money.

This was a strange and frustrating predicament they had found themselves in, that was clear to all of the shinobi. Though that didn't mean that they couldn't use the situation and the kindness of these people to their advantage. Pein's attention was drawn to the door as Ayoung reentered the room with a large bag of chips in hand. He looked back to Konan. "We stay until we can figure out if it would be wise to either grab some supplies and leave as soon as possible, or stay until this group becomes more of a hindrance than we can afford.

Konan nodded in understanding, "As long as you have something." She then tensed as she felt a small slim hand on her shoulder, only able to stop her arm from attacking blindly through sheer discipline.

There was silence for a moment before Hidan spoke, "Ayoung is offering you a seat." Konan paused for a moment before silently nodding, allowing herself to be led to the corner where Hidan sat on the mattress placed on the floor. The rest of the shinobi in the room sat on the less comfortable floor in various places, their usual sleeping arrangements were not much better, being rogue ninja and always on the move. So there was not much to get used to.

Hidan had - again surprising his fellow shinobi - given Ayoung her seat back on the mattress and now had his head in her lap. He was looking up at her and she vice versa to him, their hands silently moved in turns, communicating things unknown in between them.

Kakuzu and Sasori were speaking to one another without really looking at each other their backs up against a wall while Deidara silently listened in with his eyes closed and arms crossed, but not yet falling asleep.

Itachi sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, his hands dangling in his lap in a relaxed manner. His eyes were closed but just like Deidara, he was not resting just yet. Rather, he was meditating trying to connect with the chakra coils he knew existed somewhere inside him.

Kisame was laid down across from the door to the room, his eyes were wide and unblinking as he stared at the ceiling of the room, clearly in deep thought.

Pein looked at Konan, she stared vacantly in front of her, her face blank. In a few minutes however, she closed her eyes and was the first to doze off. Pein sat down himself, his back up against the wall next to the door of the room. This was going to be a long night, and he would not be sleeping for a while.

Ian stared down the street blankly, he held his gun by his side loosely, but did not drop it when he felt a hand pat his shoulder. "Ian.", Dante spoke softly as he came up behind him, "It's getting dark dude."

Ian stared up at him for a few long moments before nodding, "Mm hmm." He then shook his head with a sigh, "Sorry...just out of it y'know?" Dante nodded in understanding, throwing an arm over Ian's shoulder and leading him back to the apartment door.

Dante looked to the other men standing by the door, "Chris, Merick, you guys can come in too. The dead don't open doors, no need for you guys to freeze out here."

Chris nodded but Merick just shook his head. "You're right about the dead but the living have flashlights, I'll stay by the door."

Dante opened his mouth to protest but then closed it, he was right, and considering what happened earlier Merick was right to be on guard. He gave the man a nod and continued to guide Ian inside, "We'll take shifts then, come get me in two hours. And don't die out here alright?"

Merick hummed absently in response moving further towards the door, his wrist rested on the handle of the fire-ax held in his belt.

Dante closed the door behind them and nodded to Chris as he walked over to a room his family had taken residence in, his sister and his kids were probably restless waiting for him to return so he wasted no time.

Dante then turned his attention to Ian who stood idly in front of him, obviously still out of it considering how interested he seemed in his shoelaces. Honestly he was surprised that he wasn't acting the same way. Then again, Dante reasoned, it wasn't like he gave himself the time to really process all of the day's happenings. A habit he'd had before the world started going to hell and proceeded to keep, keeping laser focus on one task after another distracting his mind from delving too deep into unpleasant thoughts.

And again, just like that, Dante was guiding Ian up the stairs of the apartment complex to find Oliver. Ian didn't fight the man's pushing but relented rather lazily, allowing his body to be guided around like a rag doll.

It was when the two actually found Oliver that there was a change in Ian's demeanor. The man was sat with Willow observing her as she drew in a coloring book, offering color suggestions every now and then. Dante didn't need to guide Ian anymore as he felt the younger man's shoulders relax as he pulled away to slowly approach the two sitting in the room.

Oliver's attention was drawn by the movement and looked up, his face turned alarmed and he sprang to his feet. Ian said nothing as Oliver began delicately touching his face, petting him as if to see if he was alright. His fingers maneuvered around any dried blood present, checking to see that none of it belonged to Ian. Waiting patiently, Ian watched Oliver's eyes dart around his face and body twice more before they met his and darted no longer.

Oliver gave a hesitant smile his face relaxing into a somber expression, "You've suffered more, haven't you...?" Ian took a sharp intake of breath at this and opened his mouth to speak, but there were already tears brimming in his eyes as he choked on his voice. His mouth closed once more and nodded with a whimper, in response Oliver pulled his head down to his shoulder.

He gave a sidelong glance to Willow still sat on the ground and gave her a look. The young girl nodded in understanding, picking her things up and quickly going to Dante's side. Dante was surprised when she grabbed his hand and pulled him away with a barely whispered, "Come on dummy!"

He gave the little girl a look as he allowed himself to be led away from the room, "What did I say about calling people dummies Willow?"

She shrugged defensively, "You're not people though! You're Dante!"

Dante grounded himself in the hall making the girl halt as well, tightening his grip just slightly to make her look at him and prevent her from running off like she was known to do. "Willow.", his stern tone of voice was underused but thankfully still effective as Willow pouted but said nothing as she looked at him, "It's not nice."

Willow looked away still pouting, but nodded after a bit. "I'm sorry." She shifted the coloring book held in her arm as she seemed to be avoiding Dante's face.

Dante felt a little sigh come up but didn't let it out as he smiled softly, "You're forgiven. Just don't do it again." He rubbed the temples of his head with his free hand, taking care to avoid the stitches. A headache that had been present even before he was injured had just been getting worse and worse with each hour, and now it was a little less than completely unbearable. He needed to go take his two hour nap before it was his turn to take over for Merick.

"Dante?", Willow asked pulling on his hand she still held.

He looked down, Willow was staring at her feet but was awkwardly shifting from one leg to the other. "Uh, yeah? What is it?", Dante asked wondering if she'd broken something. Again.

The girl looked up at him, "U-um, when will we uh...go to Georgetown...?"

The man titled his head, letting go of Willow's hand to crouch down in front of her. "Who said that uh...we'd be going to Georgetown? I mean, not that we won't be or anything, we still have to get things situated and...", Dante shook his head dismissively as he realized he was rambling. He sighed, "What I mean is, what's in Georgetown?"

Willow looked to the side avoiding the man's gaze, instead looking down the stairs and the railing in between herself and them. " _Mhmhmm..._ ", her mumbling was completely indistinct giving Dante no clue to what she said.

"You're mumbling Willow.", he commented not unkindly.

"My house! Jackson said we'd go!", she then yelled stamping a foot as she did.

Dante recoiled a bit out of pain from the volume, "And now you're yelling..." This time he couldn't hold the sigh in as he looked at Willow again, "Listen I'll ask Jackson about it and see what's going on. Ok?"

Willow opened her mouth to answer but closed it as a door beneath them opened and footsteps coming up the stairs followed not far after. The two in the hall watched in silence as Pein's stoic face peered up from the staircase, having stopped right in the middle. Only his nose and up was visible. It was an unexpected sight that the two in the hall found oddly funny.

This was apparent by the looks on their faces and Willow's giggling as Pein continued to stare, seemingly unaware to what the joke was. "Hi Katsuki-Guy!", she greeted through her laughs.

Dante's amused smirk faded but not by much as he looked at Willow in confusion, "Ka-What-Guy?"

" _A_ katsuki, not Katsuki.", Pein corrected still not moving from his position on the stairs. His gaze then moved from Willow to Dante, "It is an organization I am a part of, nothing big. I heard a yell from up here though, is everything alright?" As quickly as Pein explained, he changed the topic and hoped that would be the end of it. Both Willow and Oliver had overheard him mention the Akatsuki, it would be hard to refute them both. So he figured it best to treat the word as a trifle, and steer others from questioning it when possible.

Dante opened his mouth to answer but then gave Willow a glance, "Well, Willow here was just about to head off to bed so I can ask Jackson a few things. Right?"

Willow looked at him with a happy smile that broke Dante's heart, "Oh really?" She launched herself forward to wrap her arms around Dante's neck in a hug, "Thank you thank you thank you Dante!"

Said man chuckled and forced himself to pry the little girl off before he lost his nerve, "Okay! Okay Willow. You're welcome, now you go off to bed, quick as you can okay?" He stood letting go of her hands and giving her what he hoped passed as a kind smile, it felt more like a grimace.

Willow nodded and bolted past him and down the stairs, coming to a sudden halt as she seemed to forget Pein was standing there. Giving him an apologetic look, she mumbled an 'excuse me' and made it the rest of the way down the stairs, not stopping until she made it to a room on the lower level where other children slept.

Pein looked after her for a moment, waiting until he heard the door close before taking in Dante's guilty expression. "I take it you don't make a habit of lying to children?", he asked curiously.

Dante's face went stony in response, "No. It makes me sick..." He answered curtly before sighing as he lifted his hands to rub at his temples, the pain in his head now pulsing, bringing more discomfort and making concentration near impossible. He opened his eyes after finally realizing at some point he'd closed them. Pein still peered up at his from further in the staircase, Dante's mouth twitched tiredly as he chuckled emptily. "Dude, just get up here...", he prompted leaning against the wall behind him and sliding down to sit in the hall.

Pein blinked once, and slowly came up the stairs and around the railing to stand next to where Dante's feet reached. He recognized the signs of a migraine when they were there, and he had no reason to make it worse for the man.

After a minute of silence, Pein wondered if Dante had fallen asleep. His body was relaxed and his hands had long since fallen away from his temples to rest in his lap. Though after close observation, Pein saw the man's eyes slightly opened. The pupils and irises of his eyes just visible through hooded lids. Was he waiting for Pein to speak? The shinobi let out a small sigh, "I...did not mean to accuse. I was simply curious... Sorry."

The apology barely came out, having not had interaction with anyone that required it, Pein hadn't said the word 'sorry' in years. However, civilians often apologized to one another in order to maintain their relationships with one another. So Pein supposed, to imply that he wanted the same thing, he'd need to take some extra steps. Acting concerned, curious, defensive when necessary, and remorseful. He'd need to fully commit to it all.

Dante looked at him through his barely open eyes and shook his head slowly, "Mh mmn." He sighed and lifted his hands to drag them over his face, trying to wake himself up. "You're right actually. It's just...I don't like lying to kids but...how can I not? I never even told my little bro Santa didn't exist. He figured that out on his own after all of his friends, year after year got better, more expensive presents than him, it was all we could afford." He let out a humorless laugh, "Even after that I couldn't tell him the truth about anything I thought that would upset him, and he'd always eventually find out. I just never learn..."

Pein stood by silently as Dante rambled about things he didn't really understand. But supposed there was eventually going to be a point to it and so, said nothing.

Dante gave him a look, his eyes more open but still exhausted. "What do you think hurts more? The truth or a lie? Cause no matter what answer I come up with, I can't stop lying to people..."

Pein truly hoped the man wouldn't start crying, he had come upstairs to make sure no one was trying to kill anyone, not to be ranted to, or expected to comfort anyone. But then he thought about it, he lied all the time to those he had no connection with, just as a means to and end, not out of spite or any personal investment. He thought for a moment how differently things may have turned out had he told the entire truth to them.

"I believe...", he began speaking without truly finishing his previous thought surprising himself. He sighed and decided to let whatever wanted to come out, be out. "I believe that the choices you speak of are not...truth and lies, but reality and hope... And too much hope can drag you around till you hang yourself with it.", he finished his thought with a nod satisfied with his answer.

Dante blinked up at him with something that appeared to be a mix of surprise and horror, blended in to create something more muted than either but still prevalent. His eyes then traveled down to his own shoes to stare at them, mulling this thought over.

Pein then decided this was the best time for him to leave. He did not want to be dragged into an existential discussion, and Dante wasn't crying yet. He made his way to the stairs and began walking down them.

"When you put it that way...I guess you're right.", Dante spoke before Pein was properly down three steps. Pein stopped walking practically sensing a continuation coming. "But, if we look at it that way, can't too much of reality very well do the exact same thing? Especially considering that it's not something people can escape from. Hope is a choice, reality isn't."

Pein looked at the man without turning his head, a somber smile graced him, but then even that faded away in a few moments. "I suppose so.", Pein supplied wondering if Dante would let him go if he responded.

"Yeah so...", Dante trailed off as he made eye contact with Pein once more, "I really hope that you were telling the truth about Evan. Cause as reckless as Ian is, he's not stupid, and he was right. Neither of us saw the body, there's no telling what happened up there besides what you told us."

Pein didn't react and held Dante's stare, he didn't speak either, knowing there was more to come from there.

With a sigh, Dante looked away. "You guys are so weird. Like military guys with rods of steel up your asses... We're going back to that building tomorrow to check out your story, and if what we find is...anything but what you told us...", Dante gave Pein a hard look, "You might as well get out of here right now, 'cause I don't want to be wrong, and I don't want to kill you. But I will."

Pein held the look for a while before deciding to play a card he hadn't in a very long while, he let his mouth lift into a coy smirk causing visible pause on Dante's face. "Well if I had known you were paying that much attention to our asses, I would have given you more of a show, I apologize...", Pein watched Dante blush and sputter in surprise and embarrassment. He turned his head and began going down the stairs once again, "I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow, keep a lookout. Goodnight Dante."

He heard Dante suddenly stand and continue to fumble over words as he left, and Pein guessed that most of the continued floundering was an effect of him now actively swaying his hips more as he went, making sure the motion was visible.

The seduction card was one Pein seldom used, but felt pressed to. It was perfect for throwing his target off track and further pushing any suspicion held towards him into the deep end with not much to grasp on to.

With a last thought Pein glanced back over his shoulder, making sure Dante saw him, already wide eyed and mouth agape, as he winked back at him. Pein could practically see the fascination grow exponentially in the man's eyes as he stared at him. And like that, Pein left. ' _That was far too simple. Are all men of this world so easily swayed?_ ', Pein thought absently with an amused smirk as he re-entered the room in which the Akatsuki and Ayoung rested.

Dante stood in the hall, still shocked at what he'd seen. No one would believe him if he told them. And, oh god he'd never be able to tell anyone. Was he for real, or was Dante being teased? Dante groaned quietly as he thought it over, that tempting look in his eyes... There was something Dante did know, whether it was real or fake, his migraine was no longer his most pressing problem. " _Shiiiiit...!_ ", he hissed running with some difficulty to the nearest bathroom.

-

The Akatsuki watched with muted curiosity as Dante seemed to tiptoe around them the next morning in front of the apartment building. He often kept his gaze on far buildings that according to Chris stood outside guarding, were confirmed to be empty. Though a few of them started to catch on the more time Pein spent trying to get his attention. Just a normal glance from the Akatsuki's leader and Dante was suddenly speaking to Merick - another man guarding the building - or Chris to start mundane conversations that came out of nowhere.

This had happened three times in the last hour, and Pein had finally gotten irritated enough to sneak up on him. "Dante.", the man froze up and turned from Merick who gave him a suspicious look at his reaction. Dante slowly turned to face him, his face flushed and his eyes glancing this way and that.

"U-uh, hey uh Pein...!", he greeted. He then yelled as his forehead was flicked, he was finally able to look at Pein, momentarily distracted by the sudden pain. It was fortunate that his migraine had gone away. Pein smirked at his reaction.

"I have been trying to speak with you.", he stated simply acting as if he didn't know Dante knew that. He had never seen someone react so strongly to such a simple tactic, as confusing as it was, it was almost entertaining to witness. "So, the building to fact check and then the weapon shop. How far are they from one another?", he asked searching for confirmation.

Dante sighed trying not to look Pein in the eyes, but looking in his direction at least. "Yeah hopefully, the two aren't that far from each other, a few miles but it shouldn't take us too long."

Pein nodded, "Alright, what's to keep others from getting the weapons in the shop as well? And 'hopefully'?"

"Hopefully we'll be headed to the weapons store. And we have the key to the security gate.", Dante clarified.

Pein let himself smirk, "That's good to hear. And in that case, definitely heading to the weapons shop."

"Hopefully.", Dante corrected making eye contact once again with a glare.

"Definitely.", Pein supplied in turn just nearly smiling as he came just a step closer.

"Maybe.", Dante said a bit louder this time clenching his hands into fists.

"Absolutely.", Pein's voice stayed the same volume crossing his arms coolly.

"Would you two stop the damn flirting?", Kakuzu called in irritation from behind them, "I will throw up if you don't..."

Dante blinked in surprise at the group watching them before looking back to Pein, their eyes met again for a split second and Dante blushed before running inside muttering something having to do with finding Jackson. He just couldn't look at those eyes again after last night, and what he'd done thinking of them... Nope, he'd just never look at Pein's face again, ever. Yeah, that'd work.

Kakuzu laughed lowly as Pein came back over to the group, "Leader, what did you do to the poor kid?"

Hidan laughed himself finding more hilarity in his own thought giving Pein a teasing gaze, "They probably fucked! Right leader? _You_ fucked him, or did he fuck _you_?"

Pein rolled his eyes choosing not to respond to the obvious bait as he went to Konan's side.

Deidara unexpectedly chipped in to the discussion with a soft chuckle, "I don't think they did that Hidan, but something happened. Dante couldn't even look him in the eyes."

The less than appropriate conversation continued for much longer than anticipated, long enough for Itachi, Kisame and Sasori to uncomfortably shift away from the others. Pein and Konan just ignored them for a while before another matter made its way to the front of Pein's thoughts. He slowly led Konan away and closer to the building.

"What _did_ you do to him...?", Konan asked before he could say a thing.

Pein smirked in amusement, "Really? You too?"

Konan shrugged incredulously with an amused smile, "I don't shame Nagato. I just want to know if you're screwing our guide on the side. I'm your friend, you could at least tell me about your excursions."

Pein felt a laugh surface in his chest, not one that had been forced out or faked, but something formed out of genuine amusement. "Well I'll keep that in mind for the future. But no, I'm not screwing Dante. He seemed suspicious of what happened between us and Evan, I flirted a bit to throw him off.", he explained simply. He then looked at the front door where Dante had gone inquisitively, "I didn't expect it to be so effective even the morning after..."

Konan huffed out a laugh drawing his attention back, "Looks like you'll have to keep it up then, if he was that affected by it. Don't want him getting more suspicious about inconsistencies in your behavior."

Pein nodded in response distantly muttering to himself, "Yeah, dug that grave for myself..."

When the front door opened again, Dante and Jackson were talking in hushed tones together, a backpack on each of their backs and guns in belt loops. For the first time since last night, Dante seemed gathered and unflustered, his gaze steady while he waited for Jackson to finish talking before responding.

The Akatsuki stopped in their conversations amongst themselves and regrouped as the waited for the two men to stop talking. In many of their opinions, it took far too long for that to happen.

When they were done, Pein was pleasantly surprised that Dante looked over at him without appearing to be embarrassed, and holding the stare for a bit. Then something perplexing occurred.

Pein's surprise steadily climbed as Dante made his way directly over to him and with a gentle hand on his shoulder, led Pein away from the rest of the group. Only because Pein allowed it. Still though, it was unfamiliar to him to be treated so familiarly by anyone, even if he had flirted with them.

One they had cleared some distance Dante stopped and faced the shinobi with a smile that seemed strange to Pein for some reason, like he was holding a secret from him he didn't want to keep. It unnerved his senses. He tensed slightly as the taller man leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I was promised a show from you, hope you haven't forgotten ?"

Pein nearly chuckled, but held his mouth shut through sheer willpower. _That_ is what this was about? The ridiculousness of it made him nearly smirk in utter pity for the man...But...

Oh no, Pein's amusement faded as he looked over into Dante's eyes. They were calm but there was something more primal in them as opposed to earlier or last night.

' _Okay._ ', Pein thought. Dante was truly responding to what he'd said and taking it in stride. An unexpected development. But Pein digressed, he could work with this, after all Konan was right. He couldn't just pretend he'd never said or done anything, he needed to be consistent. He met the man's gaze with a calm yet inviting aura surrounding him as if on command, "Don't insult me."

Nothing else was said as he began walking away from the apartment building. He only glanced back once to check, that the rest of the group was following him, and that Dante, was staring _exactly_ where he wanted him to. He felt a smirk appear on his face before could stop it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Tumblr: charlie-ocrin.tumblr.com
> 
> Wow this turned out way longer than I intended it to be, but it just got away from me and I couldn't control myself. We got the realistic appearances of the Akatsuki and...ahem! Some stuff starting this chapter! *wink wink nudge nudge* 
> 
> I tried to make that scene as non-ooc as possible, but then I figured that shinobi are trained in deception. And while I doubt that they had classes formed around "How to Tempt a Target into Boning You", I'm not above thinking they have the cunning for it. Shinobi manipulate and lie all the time so, that's my justification for this happening and I'm sticking with it until I die. >_>_>_>_>_>_>_>
> 
> Let me know what you think guys! About literally anything, characters, do you like Sarita and Oliver? Relationships, do Ian and Oliver seem to be a good couple? How surprised you were when Pein made an ass joke? Anything is fine!


	7. Verbatim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life repeats itself. As it does.

The screams won't stop. It's just like before. Just like before _just_ like before **_just_** like mom! I want it to stop. Please just stop!

I don't move my hands from my ears, I can't bear it. Why'd he have to trip? The idiot! Why did he trip! The tearing, the ripping, the wailing, the growls of that fucking thing! My hands are clamped around my ears like a vice and I can still hear it all!

I open my eyes, the baby, I can hear the baby screaming too. I wrench my hands away from my ears, peer out around the corner. Sylvester... Is he safe? I want him to be safe. Please be safe. The bundle is shifting in the middle of the the hall, tiny hands are reaching for warmth that's not there.

"I'm so sorry, I can't save him, I'm sorry.", I can't stop my crying.

Sylvester's crying is clearer now, the screaming has stopped. He's dead, he's dead he's dead. Good. He's not in pain, it's okay, it's over.

Wait, no, it can hear Sylvester. It can hear him! I need to get him, need to, I need to save him. Grab him and run. Force my body to move, force my legs to move, get up, move. Not enough time, time is running out. It's moving towards us.

My breath shudders as I speak, "Move. Move now." I scream and strike my leg as hard as I can. It hurts, and it's enough to wake my body up.

I'm running across the hall before I can register it. I stumble as I sweep the wailing bundle on the floor into my arms, a blur of motion comes behind me. I can't hold in the shriek. I can't feel my legs, I'm passing door after door, sprinting but I can hear it coming just as quickly.

Sylvester is wriggling in my arms, I can't quiet him. Can't quiet him, won't be able to help him either if I'm dead. What is this thing? Never seen a zombie like this before, it's too fast, too ravenous. Need to get away, have to, for Sylvester. Why did I save Noah? Couldn't save him in the end.

Doesn't matter now, I can save the baby, if I can save the baby I'll be okay. I come to a corner, I'm going too fast to stop. I hold Sylvester close in one arm, slide on my right. Hear the demon crash. Keep going.

I feel a numb smile come on despite the near paralyzing fear, thank god for softball. I check in with the baby, still crying, hopefully okay. I've cleared ground, need to get to higher ground or behind a locked door, only safe places.

My legs burn, I ignore the pain, concentrate on using them. Where are the stairs? I yell as I swerve past a few zombies in the hall, I hit my shoulders on the walls a few times but I keep going. There's a door with a green sign, stairs, might be populated, no choice. I can hear the zombie crashing into the others in the hall, tearing through them.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck!", I crash through the door and immediately sidestep a huge zombie nearly blocking the way. I look up, the rest of the way isn't clear, but it's clear enough. Everything's a blur of terror, all I can sense is terror and white noise until I get grabbed.

The sudden stop is the worst thing of all, giving my body the second it takes to realize how much pain it's in. I glance around me, it's crowded, the demon is closing in from downstairs. Three flights down.

I fight for a hold on my gun, scream as Sylvester nearly falls out of my arm. Checking again, only two flights now. With a glance behind me I can see the roof exit door.

Using my higher ground on the stairs I shoot my foot out to kick the zombie in its face, it can't feel pain and I'm aching all over, ineffective. Only one flight now, I'm panicking and feel a weight on my back. A zombie comes up behind me and for a moment I freeze.

_No._

I crouch down and lean back pulling my arm with me, my back pushes against the zombie's legs behind me, making them lock and cause the entire thing to fall over me.

It crashes into the zombie holding me, releasing its grip and making them both crash down the remaining stairs right into the demon zombie. I turn, legs shaking in pain and exhaustion. Grab the handle to the roof access door and push myself through the door and back on it once I'm through. It locks with a click.

I fall to my knees mere feet away from the door. I breathe, I cry, nearly matching Sylvester's whose voice is now clear to me. Everything crashes down at once as I cry.

Why did this happen?

We only came to the hospital to get medicine, Noah had been feeling terrible and the nearest pharmacies had been already cleared. It had been a week and he wasn't getting better. We needed to get the medicine but maybe there was one place we didn't think of, there had to be someplace else. I shake my head.

What the hell _was_ that thing? I shakily stand up and look back. There's a window in the door, I look down.

The yellow dead eyes of the child zombie with the ripped open mouth stare up at me, not trying to knock down the door, not trying anything, just standing and staring. I step back and sit down, watching the door, my free hand on my gun.

After a while of silence I look down at Sylvester, he's only whining now, I cradle him close and shush him, trying to see him through the tears in my eyes. "I'll keep you safe, I'll keep you safe...", I whisper to him meaning it completely.

I'd keep him safe. Kill that thing if I need to. Find a way down from the roof into a window if I need to. Anything to keep him safe. Anything. I wouldn't fail again, I wouldn't allow myself to fail again. Not with him, not ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this in a night with minimal editing, I know I keep switching perspectives between chapters. It only feels right to get the best effect of the events happening in these shorter chapters. Please let me know if it bothers you guys though!
> 
> And a new danger has been introduced. How long do we guess it'll be until the Akatsuki and their guides will have to face it? Who knows?


End file.
